Hyrule Warriors: Xtreme Legends
by ZombieAxeHero
Summary: Long after Cia and Ganondorf's defeat, Hyrule is again threatened by an ancient evil coinciding with the appearance of the mysterious Skull Kid. Alongside his numerous comrades, Link sets out through time itself in the hopes of vanquishing this new mastermind of chaos, unaware of the spirit that has latched itself onto him, let alone the power of the relic known as Majora's Mask.
1. Sentiments

CHAPTER ONE

**Sentiments**

As he had many times before, Link awoke in the dead of night with the distressing images of his dream still fresh in his mind. Nothing he tried could wipe it away. She was there…suffering before his blade. He had to strike her down, but when he did, it felt like he had punched a hole in his own heart.

"Why did she…oh, good goddesses…"

He lowered his face into his open palms and rose to his feet, walking slowly out of his bedroom and through the halls of the majestic Hyrule Castle. He contemplated his living quarters. Very spacious and comfortable, a far cry from the barracks he had been used to in his days as a trainee. A knight was only gifted a bedroom in the castle itself under special circumstances, and Link had indeed lived up to that.

Even if one of the acts was still haunting him to this day.

"Damn…"

He found himself out on the grand balcony overlooking the luscious field that connected all of Hyrule. He thought back to his days as a trainee and the thought that he'd never get the oppourtunity to go out and see the world for himself. Not because he had been afraid of the world, but more not being good enough a knight to go out and do it.

Knights in training weren't allowed to leave the castle without permission from a higher-up whether it was General Impa or Princess Zelda herself. Zelda was always preoccupied with something else and usually never had time for trainees, and Impa (while fair and kind when she needed to be) didn't trust these young men to handle themselves in the outside world until they proved themselves. Link himself had done so fairly quickly, but in a way none of them had ever expected. He'd been reckless and charged out onto the battlefield without any order. He'd been a hero, and as he thought about the green tunic and flowing blue scarf he had hanging in his bedroom, he knew he wasn't just any hero.

No. He'd been the hero that Cia had to go and become obsessed with.

"Cia…" he muttered to himself.

He sighed again and let his hands drop onto the banister. He thanked the goddesses themselves for what came next so he wouldn't sink into another bout of depression.

"Link?"

Link turned his head toward the soft voice and focused his gaze on the nightgown-garbed woman stepping lightly toward him. In his mind, he sighed at this beautiful sight, and in reality, he cleared his throat and nodded at her.

"Um…good evening, milady."

She smiled and crossed her arms with her brow raised.

"When it's just the two of us?"

Link sighed and let a smile make its way to his lips.

"Zelda."

The princess nodded in approval and stepped gracefully toward him. The silver gown trailed behind her and gave the illusion of her gliding along the ground like a spirit, her slender and soft arms draped at her sides before she raised one and brushed her fingertips against Link's warm cheek. He shivered at her touch. She was oddly affectionate for a politician. Hyrule naturally had a boatload of senators that cared more about how the country was run than the people themselves. Zelda was nothing like that, and perhaps that was what made the people love her as well as what made Hyrule's enemies see her as weak.

At least until she pulled her rapier on them and showed them how skilled a warrior she was. She learned from the best, after all.

"That's better." she said. "What's the matter?"

"What do you mean?"  
"I heard you tossing around in your sleep again. You've been having nightmares for a good while now."

Link lowered his gaze before finally looking away at the horizon. In the far distance in the direction he was looking, there lay the Valley of Seers, within which was the Temple of Souls. A strange and twisted realm that had an ironic beauty to it, but that wasn't why Link was thinking about it.

"It's about Cia, isn't it?" Zelda asked.

Link nodded. Not long ago, the sorceress known as Cia had waged war against Hyrule, wanting to take the Triforce for herself and for what? To have Link at her side. It was a disturbing thought for him, but the fact that she was willing to do anything to have him and how he ultimately had run her through forced up guilt in his heart. He felt terrible every time he thought of her. All she wanted was his love, and he had killed her for it.

"I regret what I did every single day. I just wish that things could have been different."

"You did what you had to do, Link. No one blames you for it. Not me, not Impa, not even Lana."

Lana was another thing entirely. She'd been the one most hurt by the loss of Cia, for the two had been the same being at one point. When Cia faded away, it was like Lana had lost her dearest friend. Had the goodness not been forced from Cia's heart and manifested itself as Lana, maybe she wouldn't have had to die. It wasn't Cia's fault. No one could fault her for wanting to be in love despite her duties. The one truly at fault was gone from the world, but not from Link's mind.

"I'll never forgive Ganondorf for what he did to her."

"No one will ever forgive Ganondorf for anything." replied Zelda. "He was to blame for all that happened, not you."

"I know…how do you think Lana's doing right about now?"

"I'm not sure, but I imagine she's fine."

"Yeah, but…she's in that temple all by herself watching over the fabric of time itself for as long as it runs. I don't know for sure considering I haven't got a clue how it works, but…that sounds like the loneliest thing in the world."

"Perhaps, but I suppose one must put their duties before themselves."

Link smiled and looked over at her as the two of them leaned against the banister.

"Like you?"

Zelda gave him that beautiful smile that melted him every single time. He didn't know how he managed to stay depressed in front of her for even a few minutes when he knew she could wipe out that wonderful trump card at any second.

"There's the cheerful soldier I know!" she chirped. "Tell you what. When we have time, why don't we go visit her?"

"Really?"

"Of course. I'm sure she's fine, but she's our friend. She could use it. Call it a date."

"Uh…"

Zelda laughed.

"Kidding."

Link found himself laughing as well, but stopped when she suddenly pulled him into a soft hug. He always sort of figured that a girl like her would be up for something like that, but he also figured she'd reserve that for family. Then he remembered: she had no family. Zelda's mother died of sickness when Zelda herself was about five years old, and her father was killed in action no more than a few years ago. By Hylian law, she couldn't be unmarried and a Queen of Hyrule, so that quickly meant that all her fellow bureaucrats could take advantage of her fairly easily. In fact, the only person she really had as family was Impa, who on top of being a Hylian general had been her caretaker since her childhood and had loved her like an older sister or even a mother. Impa. The toughest woman Link knew, and judging from how hard yet fair she was with her underlings, he didn't expect her to show too much affection to Zelda publicly.

At least Zelda remembered her mother and father in wonderful and lengthy detail. Link just barely remembered his own parents, and not every memory was something he wanted to keep in mind.

"If you ever need someone to talk to," Zelda whispered. "You can always come find me, okay?"

Link parted from her just enough that he could gaze into her soft eyes. He felt lost in them almost right away, but managed a warm smile and a nod.

"I will…thank you, Zelda."

"My pleasure. Now, we should both get to sleep. I hear you're taking your two trainees out for a Musou test in the Faron Woods."

A Musou, or Unlimited, test was essentially a training exercise for the most promising soldiers. As a newly instated lieutenant, Link had two trainees, and the three of them would have to work together in the test to accomplish a specific task whether it be capturing a point on the battlefield or taking down a specific enemy officer while literally hundreds upon hundreds of hostiles came at them at once. It was intended as a test of endurance and cooperation, and only a small handful of Hylian soldiers ever completed it, Link and Impa being among them. Just getting the honor of taking part in the test would cement the two trainees as hardened warriors. If they completed the test, they'd be something far greater.

"Yeah." Link said. "I'm still kinda aching from my own Musou test. Plowed through all of the spectres without a problem, but it was quite a workout."

"Way to not flaunt your accomplishments like a stuck-up fool." Zelda chuckled.

"Uhh…"

"Kidding."

They shred another soft laugh and another warm hug before they bade each other good-night. As Link returned to his quarters and tucked himself in, he let the sour thoughts of Cia slip from his mind and anticipated the coming trial from his understudies. Link knew deep down that they would do their best tomorrow and prove that they could be knights of the highest caliber.

Then he thought of Lana. A bright and cheery young girl on the outside, but on the inside a force dedicated to the upholding of justice. It had been quite a long time since he'd seen her, and with the journey the two of them had gone together with Zelda and Impa and mighty warriors from many different eras of time, there was no way he'd ever forget. The warriors themselves were truly marvels. Darunia…Ruto…Midna…Agitha…Fi. They were legends in the present, and to fight alongside them was an honor and a thrill.

"In fact…I wouldn't mind doing it again."

With that, he slept, but something kept itching at him from the inside. Something dark…something that wasn't willing to let go of him…something he thought he'd seen the last of.

"Oh, my dear Link…surely you must know I'm not finished with you yet."

* * *

_**After playing Hyrule Warriors for a while, it was only inevitable that I came up with something like this. This story actually stems from two issues I had with Hyrule Warriors itself. 1: the story is honestly kinda crap. Granted, with a game like that, gameplay is vastly more important, but I just can't shake the feeling that it could have been really good if the game didn't focus so much on fanservice. 2: Since it only covers Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess, and Skyward Sword (though Majora's Mask characters are being added as DLC), there were a ton and a half of characters they didn't use that I really wanted. We got Darunia and Ruto, but not Saria and Nabooru. We got Fi and Ghirahim, but not Groose. I'm aiming to throw in as many characters as I can from a ton of different Zelda games without it feeling too crowded, so you'll see characters from Wind Waker, Spirit Tracks, A Link Between Worlds etc. Who knows? We may even see some guest characters from other Nintendo games.**_

**_Still, though, if you're a Zelda or Dynasty Warriors fan and don't have Hyrule Warriors, I highly recommend picking it up. It's a blast. And with that said, on with the show!_**

**_...at some point, since I am procrastination incarnate._**


	2. Examination

CHAPTER TWO

**Examination**

"Right on time, you two! Just what I like to see!" Link called as the two figures approached him.

The day was absolutely perfect for such an occasion as this, and the two trainees Mako and Shanya looked ready for action as they strode toward Link, who was now dressed in his trademark attire. They came to a smooth halt in front of him, both looking so different that one would never assume the two were comrades.

Mako was a rather curious case. He never wore the standard-issue chainmail tunic during his training for several reasons. Some (like possibly drying him out due to him being a Zora) were logical, while others (like him thinking it made him look "tacky") weren't as such. The only thing he did wear was a necklace decorated with Gyorg teeth and a pair of waterproof pants that were supposedly made from the hide of a massive Dodongo his father had slain. In fact, the very weapons he carried were the two large hunting knives that had been used to kill the beast. There was one thing that made Mako particularly noteworthy, however: he joined the Hylian army so he could have a chance to meet and train alongside Link himself.

Shanya, on the other hand, was garbed in a dark flowing cloak, leather pants and boots shaping out from underneath the hem. The cloak's hood obscured most of her face with only her mouth and chin visible. Even then, it hardly made a difference for she never spoke to anyone, thus making it a wonder that she was even properly enlisted in the first place. Perhaps her fighting ability had something to do with it, for she wielded a massive scythe that was even longer than she was high. She seemed more experienced than Mako, which was fortunate since she was a great help to him when he was just starting out. Judging from the symbols on her cloak and her lightly tanned skin, Link was suspicious of her being a Gerudo. He wasn't certain. He'd only met one Gerudo, and that had been Ganondorf. The least said about that, the better.

"You're looking a little jumpy, Mako." Said Link with a smirk. "Nervous?"

"Nervous? You kidding?!" beamed Mako. "I'm hyped, man! I can't wait to get in there and just let loose!"

"Easy there, rough rider. It's not gonna be easy."

"Easy, schmeasy. Is it gonna be a fun workout, that's what I wanna know."

Link laughed. Such enthusiasm from his trainee reminded the emerald-clad knight a lot of himself. Whether that was good or bad was up for debate, but it was definitely good that he had a lot of energy packed in that single body of his.

"Good to hear. You ready, then?"

"You bet!" Mako whooped.

"And you, Shanya?"

Shanya did little more than nod, her lips cracked in an admittedly cute smile from Mako's enthusiasm. For being the only thing that Link could see on her, it did at the very least let him know she wasn't the emotionless brute a lot of the other soldiers thought she was. Nevertheless, it was the answer Link was looking for.

"Before we head out, though, I'll give the little disclaimer right now. You both understand that there's going to be literally hundreds upon hundreds of enemies coming after you at once, right? You know, all the kinds of things that will tire you out really quickly if you aren't properly prepared?"

They nodded, and Link now noticed how swollen Mako's muscles were. Come to think of it, he'd heard shouts coming from the courtyard the previous night, and while he normally would have gone to investigate, he concluded that they were battle cries fairly quickly. It was safe to say that even though he was enthusiastic, the young Zora was taking this challenge before him very seriously.

"Okay." said Link. "But remember: while I want you to give it your all and come out on top, your safety is my primary concern while we're in there. If either of you gets too tired to keep going, we can fall back and try again another day. Understood?"

"Got it." said Mako. "Let's do it!"

"Alright then, troops! Let's move out!"

* * *

When they finally reached the mouth of the forest, they took the time to admire its various beauties. There were the trees, some of which stretched as high as Hyrule Castle's tallest tower. There was a river rushing underneath a large rope bridge, and the three could see a treetop village from a distance, ravaged slightly from its past assault by the spider-like creature Gohma.

Neither Mako nor Shanya had any way of knowing or even much in the notion of caring, but Link remembered now that this had been where he met Lana for the first time. It hadn't even been that long ago now that he thought about it, and the more he thought about her, the more he wanted to head off to see her. She'd proven to be a keen ally in the previous war, and even though their time together hadn't been long, Link knew that fighting without her would take some getting used to.

"So where are these guys at?" Mako asked. "They don't honestly wanna keep us waiting, do they?"

"They generate in random places every time to mix things up a little bit." said Link. "It's also so we'll be wandering around for a while before they suddenly appear when we have our guard down."

Mako smiled over his shoulder at Shanya.

"Well, we got ourselves a little edge, don't we?"

Shanya nodded and pressed her hands to her temples. This sorceress seemed to know no bounds, yet when hard-pressed for information regarding it, she said nothing. Even when Link told her that he needed to know what caused it so he could fully trust her, she responded by simply taking a piece of parchment and writing "There's some things people can't explain, even about themselves". An enigmatic answer from a very enigmatic woman and a rather exaggerated way of telling someone to stop pestering them about something, but at least Link got the tiny feeling she was honest about it.

She searched for any sign of ethereal movement, parting her lips slightly and taking in a deep breath as she did so. After a few long and uncomfortable moments of silence, Mako stepped forward with his hand outstretched to see if she hadn't fallen asleep or something of the sort when her head all of a sudden snapped up. Mako yelped and leapt backward.

"Jeez, Shanya, don't do that!" he half-shouted. "I'm a mortal man, y'know!"

One corner of Shanya's mouth turned up in mild amusement, and though neither Link nor Mako could be certain, they had a feeling she had rolled her eyes at her Zora companion. Nevertheless, she nodded and Link and pointed westward.

"You're sure?" he asked.

She nodded again.

"Alright, then. Let's get moving. Both of you keep a good hold on your weapons."

They dashed off in the direction Shanya had pointed, the forest animals scattering the second the three came charging by. Their chests heaving and their legs pumping hard, they kept on running until Shanya held up her hand and signalled them to stop.

"Right here?" Link asked.

Shanya nodded. Before them lay the ramp leading into the treetop village. With a good deal of space as well as numerous keeps, it was a perfect training ground, though it was very depressing to think that this used to be a beautiful village that got ransacked.

Now wasn't the time to ponder on such thoughts. As they completed their crossing of the ramp, a light breeze rushed through the wood, accompanied by several disembodied growls and shouts. The trainees kept their hands firmly on their weapons as Link asked of them, and the second there was movement, they tensed their grips. At last, numerous humanoid figures phased into existence, blank-eyed and translucent white in hue. The moment they saw the three heroes before them, the one at the front of the pack drew its sword, raised it into the air, and let out a loud war cry. The others followed suit, and they charged.

"Okay, you two! This is it!" Link shouted enthusiastically. "Hit 'em hard and don't hold back!"

"Yeah, baby!" Mako cheered as he wrenched his hunting knives out of their sheaths. "LET'S ROCK!"

And with their weapons drawn, the three lunged forward. Link began the carnage, reeling up his signature spin attack and letting it loose with such a force that it sent the closest ten spectres flying off in different directions. He raised his shield, the ghostly sword of his next target clanging against the metal surface before he countered with a mighty stab. Two spectres swung horizontally at him from different heights, but this proved fruitless when Link vaulted between the two blades and landed squarely between his attackers, kicking one and slashing the other. A mighty jumping slash and shield bash later, and he'd cleared a way to the nearest garrison.

"This way!" he yelled, pointing his sword toward it.

"Right behind ya!" Mako called right before he got swarmed. "Ah, crap, gimme a second."

He locked blades with the closest spectre and pushed it back, and from there it was a rhythmic and ridiculously fast stream of slashes as Mako decimated all before him. With one quick flurry of stabs, he kicked off of one spectre's chest and launched himself a good distance into the air, and with one cocky grin, he came down like a meteor, striking the ground and sending up a tsunami-like shockwave that quite literally drowned out the competition. As he landed, he pulled off a triumphant pose that in any other circumstance would have resulted in him taking far too many hits than was healthy for him.

"And that's how it's done!" he shouted.

As they entered the occupied garrison, it was now Shanya's turn to shine, and she didn't disappoint. As the spectres rushed toward the trio, she cut to the front and took a massive swing with her scythe. The wave of energy that blasted from it added to its powerful swing, and when she caught one of the spectres on the crescent blade, she spun it over her shoulders and threw it into its comrades like a bowling ball.

"Heads up, Shanya!" Mako called. "Archers on the battlements!"

Already taken care of. Shanya reeled back and threw her scythe as hard as she could while keeping her right hand aiming at it as it spun rapidly in mid-air. Using whatever forces she commanded, she kept the scythe flying around the battlements, striking each and every archer before returning it to her hands and turning to smile at her comrades. To say the least, they were impressed.

"Uh…yeah, that works." said Mako. "I mean, you could let me just climb up there and take 'em out or hell. Link's got his bow, but…yeah. Flying scythe of spinning doom. A much better alternative."

He got a playful punch on the shoulder in response before Link stepped in to resume command.

"This'll be our base!" Link said sternly. "If the enemy gets a hold of it, we're down for the count! One of you needs to stay here and protect it!"

"Sure as hell ain't gonna be me!" replied Mako. "You mind, Shanya?"

Shanya again smirked and (presumably) rolled her eyes, but nonetheless positioned herself in the center of the keep. She pressed her hands to her temples and focused, and within moments, a shadowy aura generated within the keep's walls. Any enemy foolish enough to enter without the proper defense would be steadily eaten away by its curse while Link and Mako could enter and exit as they pleased. Definitely a worthy defense.

"Perfect!" said Link. "That leaves the two of us to build up our defenses and hunt down the commander!"

"Gotcha!" said Mako. "I'll take the left bridge! Let's tear this place up!"

And they were off, slashing through the mob of spectres as if they were nothing. Mako hopped from massive branch to massive branch while Link took a detour into a tunnel leading through a gargantuan tree in the very center of the battlefield. His eyes adjusted quickly and spotted several spectres lunging at him from the side. He ducked and rolled forward, the spectres not realizing that he had dropped a bomb between them until it was too late. As he exited the tunnel, cutting through the stray Skulltula webs that hindered him, Link spotted Mako brawling like the energetic youth he was. It did Link's heart good to see Mako plow through the spectres, slashing and even kicking a few of them off the branches and down the ground far below without so much as breaking a sweat. It made him feel as proud as a teacher could be.

But of course, students were bound to make tiny mistakes once in a while. Mako performed a spin attack that rid him off some unwanted attention, but failed to notice the one stray spectre vaulting down from the tree with its blade raised. Luckily, Link had noticed it long before then and whipped out his trusty bow. With a loaded arrow ready to go in a second, he drew the string back as far as it would go and let it fly. The arrow struck the spectre in the chest and sent it hurtling over the side. Mako only now noticed his intended attacker and looked over at Link putting away his bow.

"Always got my back, eh?" Mako called with a smile and a thumbs-up.

"Always." Link said back, returning the gesture. "Remember to keep your guard up, though. Even for things you can't see."

They kept moving, eventually rejoining at the next ramp that circled around the massive tree. As they rounded the corner, four particularly large spectres materialized from nowhere. As Mako prepared to lunge for them, Link held out his arm and blocked him. A decent idea, since numerous plates of steel suddenly dropped from above, each spectre drawing in a fair amount of pieces each before they stood before the two heroes clad in thick black armour with circular shields and massive broadswords at their disposal.

"Be careful!" said Link. "Even if they're fake, you don't wanna mess around with Darknuts!"

They certainly didn't what with all four of the dark knights swinging at the same time, the sound as the blades cut through the air ringing loud and deep. Link raised his shield and blocked the heavy strikes one right after the other, bashing his shield forward on the last strike and dealing a critical blow to the Darknut in front of him. Mako meanwhile wasn't quite so subtle, moving quickly and stylishly around the swings of the other three dark knights until one of them faked him out.

As Mako sadly fell for it and made the dodge, the Darknut reared up its armour-clad foot and slammed it into Mako's unprotected stomach. The Zora youth went sprawling backward as he hit the ground with a loud grunt of pain, very nearly sliding off the pathway in the process. As the Darknut made another move toward Mako, Link jumped between them and blocked with his shield while giving Mako a stern look.

"What did I just say?!" he said.

"Sorry. Heat of the moment, y'know?"

Once Mako was back on his feet, things went a little smoother. One Darknut swung inward, Link parrying the blow for a few moments while looking for the oppourtunity to strike. Once he found it, he stabbed and delivered a successful strike. Mako too waited for the right moment when his target raised its sword to swing at him, he seized the knight's shoulder and stabbed its chest once. Twice. Three times. Again and again before kicking it away and sending it into a freefall toward the ground far below, leaving Mako and Link to team up against the final Darknut who slammed his blade against the ground. The blade conjured a large shockwave, but with Link strafing to the side and running along the trunk of the tree they stood on, he quickly closed the distance between himself and the knight and finished it off with a single powerful slash.

"Piece a' cake!" Mako cheered. "…except for the whole me getting hit in the gut thing…"

Link smirked and lightly punched his student's arm.

"Don't worry about it. Remember: you learn from failure. Now let's keep moving. The enemy base should be just ahead."

Mako nodded before pressing a finger to his forehead and closing his eyes. Link looked on in confusion for brief moment before asking what anyone else would have: "What are you doing?" The response he got was nothing short of strange.

"I'm checking in with Shanya to see how our base is doing."

"What, do you two have a telepathic link or something?"

"Hey, when you train together with someone for as long as I have with her, you kinda grow attached."

"How come she never speaks to me, then?"

"I dunno. I guess she doesn't like you."

Link raised an eyebrow and it didn't occur to him that Mako was joking until he saw the young Zora smirk. Link rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. What's she saying?"

"She says there's a lot of ghosts around the base, but it's nothing she can't handle."

"Good. Let's get moving."

They proceeded, slashing away at the spectres idiotic enough to get in their way. Link took a good look over at Mako as they kept moving upward. He took in the bright smile, the loud cheers of excitement, and the sheer amount of energy in his fighting style. Not unlike a younger and less experienced Link. In fact, Link imagined that he would still be much like Mako had he not seen such terrible things and met such horrible people in his time. Wizzro, Zant, Ghirahim, Ganondorf absolutely, and…

No. Cia hadn't been a bad person. She'd just been…horribly obsessed.

He shook it off. Now wasn't the time to think about such things. They had arrived at the keep at the top of the tree. At first glance, it appeared empty, but even the inexperienced Mako knew that things weren't always what they seemed.

But did he have to demonstrate this is such an obnoxious manner?

"Gee!" he called loudly. "I sure am glad there isn't anything in here! Looks like we can just take the keep without a hitch!"

And as expected, something materialized in the very center on the keep: a tall and muscular figure drenched in shadows with a battered cape trailing behind it, a horned helmet on its head, and a massive sword in its right hand. Link scowled the moment he got a good look at it

"Hey, isn't that…" Mako started.

It wasn't, but that didn't stop Link from lunging headlong at the phantom with his blade raised high over his head. In response, the phantom faded into an incorporeal form and strafed to the side, slashing at the green-clad knight upon reappearing. The ghostly blade clanged against Link's shield, rattling his bones and pushing him backward slightly as he glared at the blade's wielder who let out a loud and maniacal laugh. It lifted off into the air, floating there for a moment as four identical copies generated by its side, each one generating a sphere of azure energy in their palms.

"You familiar with dead man's volley, Mako?" Link asked sternly.

"What's that?"

"That's a no. Just keep your wits about you, or this is gonna get really ugly."

Without any hesitation, the five Phantom Ganons cast their projectiles. While Mako successfully avoided three of the five, Link slashed at the remaining two with enough force to reflect them both. One ricocheted far off course while the other shot straight back at Phantom Ganon, who also slashed and reflected it just as his copies tossed more into the mix.

"I got you covered, Link! Don't you worry about a thing!" Mako shouted.

"In all honesty, that's what makes me a tad bit worried." Link thought a bit sourly.

Link kept himself in a loop of reflecting the bolt over and over again while Mako kept the copies busy chasing him all about the garrison. As the copies lunged in for the kill, Mako ducked into a fighting stance and prepared a spin attack when…

"What the…where'd they go?!"

It was true. The four had simply vanished without a single trace, disappointing Mako in that he didn't get to use his epic attack as well as the fact that he had to wait until they showed up again before he could continue his assault. And if anyone knew a thing about Mako, they knew he hated waiting no matter how much it benefitted him.

"Dammit, where are you, you scum?!" he shouted.

And then they reappeared, surrounding him with their blades raised high and ready to tear him apart. The young Zora demonstrated his supreme athletic skills as he blocked and dodged the blades to the best of his ability, but as he slashed downward toward one phantom's head, it seized him by the neck, hauled him upward, and slammed him down hard. Seeing his trainee take such a beating was enough to make Link lose focus for a single fraction of a second, which was all the true Phantom Ganon needed to send the energy sphere back one last time and strike the young hero in the chest.

"Crap…" he growled. "I'm losing my edge here…"

With both of the heroes temporarily grounded, Phantom Ganon raised its sword, the blade flashing several times in succession before at least a couple hundred spectres appeared before their very eyes. The massive hoard, however, paid no attention to the two of them, and that was what worried them as the hundreds of spectres piled out of the garrison with their summoner in hot pursuit.

"Oh, no, they're heading for the base!" Link shouted. "Mako, get up!"

"No need to tell me twice!" Mako panted.

They started after the massive army, slashing at the spectres taking up the rear and generally trying their hardest to reduce their numbers as much as they could before the spectres reached Shanya. That wasn't to say Link nor Mako doubted Shanya's abilities (especially with her weapon of choice being excellent for crowd control), but with the army's commander among them and his perceived resistance to the barrier of darkness protecting the base, Shanya was going to have one painful time trying to hold it.

Mako especially felt angered by this sudden turn of events. He hadn't gone through all that training and made all those promises to his family that he was going to become the greatest Zora warrior that ever lived just to fall flat on his face now. He and Link kept slashing, taking down a fair amount of the spectres but not nearly enough to prevent a total onslaught. They began to panic as the army drew closer to the base, Shanya exiting it and standing to defend it with her scythe prepped but clearly showing signs of feeling overwhelmed, particularly when Phantom Ganon cast an energy sphere backward and tripped Link up.

At last, Mako saw no other alternative.

"Link, I know you never told me to use this unless I absolutely needed to, but I'll be damned if I don't gotta do it."

Link smirked (after he'd rubbed the dirt from his face). He knew just what Mako was talking about, and despite how risky it could be for the young Zora, he wasn't about to object when there was a ghostly semi-clone of Ganondorf threatening to bring their base crashing down.

"Alright! Go for it!"

Mako planted his feet firmly against the ground and drew in a deep breath, focusing all his internal energy and letting the adrenaline consume him. As it built up to an unparalleled peak, a light-blue aura appeared around him before he slammed his fists together and generated a massive echo.

"FOCUS SPIRIT!" he bellowed.

And he was off, his speed increasing exponentially to the point where he was running through the middle of the ghostly army. The spectres fell in droves at his feet before he took one giant leap at Phantom Ganon. Alas, even with his heightened speed and senses under the influence of the Focus Spirit, Phantom Ganon effortlessly blocked his attacks. Granted, it didn't manage to land a hit on Mako, but it certainly didn't slow its pursuit towards Shanya. Shanya herself reeled back and launched upward, crossing blades and slashing repeatedly at each other while suspended in mid-air. Shanya didn't manage to land a single hit, whereas Phantom Ganon palm-struck her once she'd left herself too open. She hit the ground, rolling head-over-heels until she finally came to a stop as her back slammed against the wall of the base. What a time for Mako to come flying at the chief spectre again.

"You're gonna eat it now, sucker!"

Somebody ate something, and that was sadly Mako eating Phantom Ganon's fist in his face, and he too hit the ground and slid for a while before coming to a stop and wondering what he'd done to deserve this.

"Oh, yeah…" he thought. "That."

Phantom Ganon raised its hands, a massive red sphere of energy appearing and steadily growing larger the longer he held it. With the two trainees too weakened to get up right away (Mako in particular when the effects of his Focus Spirit ran out), it seemed there was no way for them to defend themselves as Phantom Ganon cast the sphere and slashed it, causing it to separate into several smaller spheres quickly approaching them from all angles.

There was just one fatal error in Phantom Ganon's "foolproof" assault: it forgot that there was a third person trying to kill it, and that third person had jumped between it and its targets just in time to deliver a spin attack strong enough to launch every single sphere back at it at lightning speed. As the spheres slammed into the spectre, it let out a shout of pain as it collapsed. Link heaved his two trainees to their feet and shook them to their senses.

"Don't you two go quittin' on me now!" he said. "This is it!"

Mako stumbled about in a dazed state for a few moments before looking up like the impact had been nothing.

"Who's talkin' about quitting?" he asked.

"You when you didn't get up right away. You gotta stay resilient at all times."

"LOOK OUT!"

The Zora youth shoved his commanding officer out of the way just in time to block Phantom Ganon's sudden attack. He shoved, knocking the spectre's sword arm backward. Phantom Ganon swung downward as hard as it could at its Zora opponent, unable to defend itself when Shanya zipped in and took one massive swing at the sword. The force of the swing knocked the blade out of the spectre's hand, leaving him wide open for the finishing blow.

"Let's finish him off as a team, you two!" Link hollered. "Time for a Chain Attack!"

"Yeah, baby!" Mako cheered. "Yo, Shanya! Will you do the honours?"

Shanya didn't need to be told twice. She spun her scythe, catching Phantom Ganon in the curve of the blade and tossing it headlong at Link. Link continued the attack with a jumping spin attack, delivering several slashes to Phantom Ganon that propelled it upward before Link struck him back down with his shield.

"MAKO! FINISH HIM!"

"YOU GOT IT!"

With one single flip, Mako launched himself over Phantom Ganon and impaled it through the chest, letting gravity do the rest as they plummeted back down to the ground. The spectre writhed about in agony, screaming and bucking against Mako's knives in its chest as the Zora warriors smirked at his victory.

"Too late." he said as he pulled his knives from the spectre, spun them around his fingers, and sheathed them in a flashy display. "Game over, pal!"

At last, Phantom Ganon gave up the struggle and collapsed lifeless, melting into a mere shadow that crept away along the ground. At last, all was still and quiet within the forest yet again. Satisfied, Mako and Shanya turned to their commanding officer and awaited their results.

"So, uh…" Mako started, suddenly overcome with anxiousness. "How did we do?"

Link stroked his chin after sheathing his blade, deliberately making them tense as they awaited their judgment. He knew how stressful their preparations had been, but he needed to be 100% honest. No matter how much he liked them, he had to be honest.

"Well, there were flaws." he started, immediately catching a downcast look from Mako and even a light twitch from Shanya. "One or two major ones. Mako, you were far too reckless. I know that's your style and all, but your image isn't nearly as important as your life. Shanya, while you fight pretty well, your melee fighting style leaves a lot of openings and judging from that last throw down, you're definitely ill-suited to one-on-one combat. You both have weaknesses that you won't be able to compensate for very easily."

Mako stared down at the ground, his hand fidgeting and his lips starting to quiver. How? How could this happen? He'd tried so hard. He'd trained for months on end to be the best warriors he could be, and in the end, this was the best he could do?

Just then, Link smiled and clapped one hand on Mako's shoulder and another on Shanya's.

"At least not by yourselves." he continued. "But you both made up for it with the most vital thing one can have on the battlefield: teamwork. You both divided up tasks adequately. Shanya, your magical attacks were perfectly-suited for defense purposes. And Mako, you may have been reckless, but it was your offensive capabilities and mastery of the Focus Spirit that kept our base from getting stormed. And yes. That Chain Attack was executed perfectly. Each move flowed right into the other."

"So does that mean…"

Link nodded and reached into his pockets and produced two satin scarves, much like the blue one trailing behind him save for one being fire-red and the other leaf-green. As Link offered them to his trainees, they felt themselves fill with excitement, their fingers tingling as they brushed the tips against the scarves.

"Symbols of true knighthood." he said. "I heard through the grapevine that these were your favourite colors, so I made sure they were made to suit the two of you perfectly. Here, put them on. I kinda wanna see how they look on you."

With Mako taking the red one and Shanya taking the green one, they donned them in their own unique manners with Make wrapping his around his torso like a belt and Shnaya tightening hers around her waist like a corset. Link smiled at the sight.

"Just as I thought." he said. "They look perfect. Congratulations, you two."

The two couldn't hold back their happiness. While Shnaya merely smiled and pressed a hand to her heart in gratitude, Mako leaped all about, pumping his fists in joy.

"BOO-YAH!" he cheered. "Oh, man, this is so awesome!"

"Easy there, buddy." Link laughed. "This is just the beginning."

"Tell you the truth, that's what I'm…"

Mako didn't finish his sentence when there came a sudden rustling of leaves. The three looked all about, not saying a word or making a sound. Fearing the worst, Link started to reach for his sword, and when the sound came again from directly behind them, he and his two companions readied their weapons and looked toward the source. Their discovery, however, was quite unusual.

"Hi there!" said the child-like creature sitting on the nearby branch.

He was an odd little thing, garbed in a red tunic and pointed red shoes with green gloves on his tiny hands. The only bit of skin any of the three could see on him were his fingers, and even then they looked more like wood than skin. They could not see his face, for there was a strange mask resting on it. A heart-shaped mask with spikes jutting from the sides, glowing yellow eyes, and an assortment of colors with violet as the most prominent.

Shanya kept the same expressionless glare while Link raised an eyebrow at the strange creature, but Mako stepped forward with a bright smile.

"Hey there, little fella!" he called. "What're you doing up there?"

"Me? I was waiting for you."

"Us? What for?"

The nimble little creature hopped down from the branch and landed hunched over, walking toward the three nearly on all fours. He looked up at them, the mask's wide eyes still peering deep into their souls. Then he spoke again, his words mystifying them even further.

"Are you Link?" he asked.

Link raised an eyebrow, as did Mako and Shanya as they both looked over at him.

"Uh…yes. Do I know you?"

"Nope. I'm Skull Kid!"

Skull Kid held out his hand, Link returning the gesture and very nearly recoiling when the little imp turned his hand over and looked at the glowing emblem on the back of it. The Triforce of Courage. An ancient relic representing a true hero. Everyone, including his two trainees (now lieutenants), knew that he had it and he was revered because of it, almost on the level of Zelda herself. Why was Skull Kid interested in it, though?

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "You really do have it!"

"What? The Triforce?"

"Yeah! Do you know Princess Zelda?"

"Umm…yes. Why?"

"She's got a piece of the Triforce, too, right?"

"Okay, buddy, I think you need to back up and tell me what exactly you're doing here."

Skull Kid released Link's hand and scratched at the back of his head. He seemed ready to explain himself, but there came the sound of clanking armour getting closer and closer before a Hylian messenger rounded the corner.

"Oh, thank goodness! Commander Link!"

Link only needed to look at the messenger's panicked expression and hear his panting to know that something was wrong. The messenger slid to a stop in front of them, doubling over and taking in several breathes before blurting out his message.

"Thank goodness I found the three of you! It's an emergency!"

"What's wrong?!" Link demanded.

He didn't even need to ask. He knew what the messenger was going to say even before he said it, and it sent a wave of dread washing over him even while it was happening.

"General Impa needs all three of you to return immediately!" the messenger shouted. "The castle is under attack!"

* * *

_**Run, you fool! Your princess desires your presence! ...oh, and save the castle while you're at it, too!**_

**Good ol' Skull Kid, eh? What would we do without him? Speaking of which, I admit I'm a little upset he's not going to be playable in the actual Hyrule Warriors game, but the Majora's Mask DLC shows a lot of promise. Oh, Tingle. Always sticking around to troll us, eh?** _**Actually, I kinda liked him in Wind Waker, although I guess using his design from that game would be...in poor taste if you catch my drift. And Young Link...hm. Interesting choice. And he turns into the Fierce Deity for his Special Attack? ...okay...that's bloody awesome.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker


	3. A New Breed of Chaos

CHAPTER THREE

**A New Breed of Chaos**

War in Hyrule always came suddenly. There were never negotiations. Either one army attacked without warning or the other did. Another common trait was that there was no such thing as remorse on either side. One was clearly benevolent and the other was clearly malevolent. Now was no different as the massive army of Moblins and Stalfos laid siege to the off-guard Hyrule Castle. The people within Castle Town ran terrified to shelter while the droves of Hylian soldiers dashed to the lowering drawbridge, ready to defend their home as best as they could. Leading this army was none other than the mighty Sheikah warrior Impa, her greatsword anchored on her shoulder and ready to bring the monsters to their knees.

"Archers! To the battlements!" she bellowed. "Goron units, flank the right side and close the mountain pass! Don't let any more of them through! The rest of you follow me!"

"Understood!" the soldiers shouted.

"Let's roll, boys!" hollered one of the Goron captains.

Impa swung her blade hard, sending a small mob of the dark forces flying off in different directions. It made the other enemy units wary and even somewhat intimidated, but not nearly enough to make them back off. Just as well. Impa was looking to blow off a little steam, anyway.

"Come, then!" she shouted. "I'll cut down every last one of you!"

It certainly looked like she would as the countless pig-men and living skeletons fell in droves at her feet. She kicked, tackled, and slashed her way through the mob. Even the ones with slightly more than half a brain stood no chance against this deadly warrior. Two Stalmasters swung at her, left dumbfounded when she vaulted herself high into the air. With her free hand raised, dozens upon dozens of daggers of water conjured around her, and when she cast her hand down, the daggers rained down on the defenseless monsters before Impa herself struck the ground and generated a mighty shockwave.

The satisfaction of this tiny victory was short-lived. She heard metallic clanking close behind her, followed by the swinging off a massive steel weapon through the air. The clinking of chain links accompanied it. A giant flail, and as she heard the sound suddenly grow louder and felt the air start to part, she acted. She spun around and leapt upward, slamming both of her feet against the giant metal sphere and sending it hurtling away just in time. She had aimed for it to strike back at its wielder, but this being too demonstrated brilliant strength as he caught the ball with one hand and returned it to a hanging position while he held its chain with both hands.

An intimidating force, indeed. At about seven or eight feet, he towered over Impa( who was already rather tall), in part due to his heavy set of gold-and-silver armour. His face was naturally hidden from view, and Impa thought for a moment that he was just another generic enemy officer before he spoke.

"You fight well. Consider me slightly impressed, Impa of the Sheikah." he said in a deep and booming voice. "Only slightly, mind you."

Impa sneered and tensed her grip on the hilt of her blade. She didn't know where this being had learned her name, but she hardly cared. She would make sure that he remembered more than her name when she was done with him.

"Coming from an enemy of my people, that doesn't mean much to me." she said.

"State your name, fiend."

"Anxious, are we? I do not blame you. I am General Onox."

"Now that that's established, what business do you have here?"

"The business of war, of course. It would seem that my underlings haven't provide you with nearly enough of a challenge."

"And I suppose you can do better?"

Onox scoffed and tightened his grip on his chain. Through the small holes in his helmet, Impa could see his blood-red eyes start to leer at her. He was intimidating. She could give him that, but she was a Sheikah in addition to the loyal servant of the Royal Family of Hyrule. For her, fear was not an option. She would face this tremendous foe or die trying.

"I can only assume you are eager to find out." Onox growled. "I suppose I should warn you in advance that you likely won't walk away from this."

"You have no idea how many of my fallen foes have told me that. Trust me when I say this won't take long."

"I agree. I doubt you'll be worth the effort for much longer. But enough talk. Have at you!"

Impa made the first move, immediately demonstrating her superior speed compared to the armour-clad Onox when she vaulted over his flail. As she swung downward, Onox raised his gauntlet and blocked the blow, leaving (to Impa's shock) no dent or scratch to speak of. And this wasn't just any ordinary sword she was using: on top of it being a massive two-handed greatsword, it was fashioned by Biggoron, the finest blacksmith in Hyrule (on top of being a Goron as tall as Hyrule Castle). If it couldn't pierce something, then its wielder was in for a really difficult fight.

And sadly, Impa most certainly once. No matter how hard she swung her blade, it clanged off of Onox's armour every single time without leaving a single indication of damage, and that was aside from her barely missing getting hit by his weapon every time he swung it at her. She wrestled with a few Gorons before, and she would be the first to tell anyone that blocking Onox's weapon whenever she wasn't quick enough to dodge it was almost exactly like that but without the overall sense of fun and with a lot more murderous intentions.

"Damn. I hate to say it, but he's good."

Impa rolled backward, the metal ball slamming and sticking into the ground where she had been standing. Even as she skidded backwards slightly, she had to vault forward again when the ball generated a massive shockwave. As Onox raised his arm to swing again, Impa at last saw what she was looking for: a gap in his armour. Now all she had to do was reach it.

Much easier said than done.

"Why do you delay?" Onox mocked. "Are the Sheikah not the most deadly of all races? Or are you just actively trying to disappoint me?"

"Oh, shut it, you great oaf!"

Then Onox surprised Impa even further. The visor of his helmet rose on its own, showing a fanged, snarling, and very wide mouth underneath. Onox drew in a deep breath, and Impa just barely avoided the fast and deadly stream of fire that spewed out. Fireball after fireball shot after Impa as she rolled and vaulted all about with the flames very nearly licking her heels every single time. Finally, she had them perfectly lined up and was just the right distance away. She sheathed her weapon and focused. She had to time this just right or else risk getting the nastiest burn of her life.

They were three feet away. Two feet. One foot, and…

"MORTAL DRAW!"

Perfect. She struck the fireballs at just the right time and with just the right strength to send them flying back at Onox. He wasn't fast enough to stop them as they slammed into his chest one right after the other. As he doubled over, Impa rushed forward, sliding underneath him and delivering a heavy kick to his chest. The force was enough to send the knight high into the air, but even as she vaulted up after him, she knew he wasn't defenseless. He swung his weapon, and she seized the chain just in time to make full use of the momentum and travel further upward.

"What goes around comes around, Onox!" Impa laughed.

"Well, aren't we cheeky…" the knight growled.

She thought she had every right, but this sadly wasn't the case. As she dived down toward Onox's exposed armpit, he dropped his weapon, and she saw why the second she was within slashing range. In what seemed like a millisecond, he clapped his hands together and seized the blade. With a mighty roar, he swung the blade over his head and cast it downward, too quickly for the shocked Impa to let go of it until she was already hurtling toward the ground. Her blade planted deep into the earth while its wielder rolled along the ground as she hit it and felt everything start to hurt all at once. Where in the world did this knight come from to become so powerful?

Even as Impa thought that very thing and started to heave herself to her feet, Onox's greave stepped on her chest and pinned her down before she got the chance.

"You waste my time, Sheikah!" Onox shouted. "Not even a few minutes and you have already been outmatched!"

"And here I thought you had at least a little bit of humility." Impa growled, trying her best to heave Onox's heavy foot off of her. "Let it be known that I will never surrender to you or anyone!"

"You value your worthless princess and this land full of fools more than your own life? Very well."

As Onox started to swing, there came a sickly cackle before a figured descended into view. A wretched-looking creature that wore a billowing violet robe, his black skeletal hands visible from under the sleeves and a single red eye glowing in the shadow of his hood. The eye oddly rolled over and split into a toothy grin as the creature began to speak.

"Don't finish her just yet, Onox" he said. "I've been looking to have a little go at her again."

"Wizzro?!" Impa spat. "How the blazes are you still alive?!"

"I'll admit I had a little brush with death, but I had some help from a worthy source."

The last time Impa had seen this wretched little creature, he had been no more than an underling of Cia's, but she used the term "underling" very loosely for a fairly obvious reason. Onox didn't have his priorities straight when it came to honor, but Wizzro lacked honor altogether and would betray even his closest allies at a moment's notice so long as it suited him. She'd thought the world had seen the last of him when Link cut him down with the legendary Master Sword, but here he was without a single indication of what had happened.

Onox scoffed at his comrade's impulsiveness, Impa making out a sneer in the shadow of his helmet.

"Not that I doubt the Sheikah's incompetence, but what makes you think that you could handle her? Look at how frail you are."  
"Silence, you fool!" Wizzro growled. "If you don't believe me, then I'll gladly show you!"

Another annoying trait about the evil wizard: it was very easy to get under his skin.

At the sound of a horse's call, Onox and Wizzro became wary, but it wasn't enough. Wizzro let out a shrill scream of pain as an arrow of light pierced his shoulder. Onox raised his weapon in self-defense but wasn't fast enough as a pair of powerful hooves slammed his chest. Impa took a moment to clutch her chest and catch her breath as her equine savior nudged her to her feet. As Onox and Wizzro recovered from their wounds, they stared in slight awe at the enormous and magnificent horse, her skin a reddish-brown and her tail and mane a snowy white. Epona's beauty only served to accentuate the radiance of the warrior woman seated atop her, a bow in her hand and a rapier on her belt.

"Away with you, ghouls!" Zelda shouted.

"Princess, what are you doing here?!" Impa said in panic. "It's too dangerous!"

"I'm not afraid of getting a little hurt, Impa. Especially not by this wretched thing."

Wizzro growled.

"So the little damsel decides to show herself at last? How nice. I'm afraid you're just the tiniest bit too late, though. What're you going to do against the two of us?"

To his irritation, Zelda simply smirked at him.

"You know, Wizzro, I have a few favourite words in my mind. A lot of them are things typical of someone like me, such as "peace", "justice", "love", all of that. But do you know what my absolute favourite is?"

Wizzro scowled at her, obviously wondering why she was even bothering to ask him such a silly thing, but had a familiar chill run up his spine when he heard Epona whinny in delight at the sight she saw over his shoulder. When Zelda spoke, he knew that things were about to get much more complicated.

"Reinforcements."

Zelda may have been calm that they had already gained the upper hand, but Link and his lieutenants were just relieved they even made it before things got any worse. They'd sprinted the whole way, Link cursing himself for not bringing Epona along with him (though the Musou test's only rule was that they could have no outside help, with mounts like his trusty steed counting as such), and by the time they got there, their lungs will already ready to burst. Now wasn't the time for rest, however.

"Get ready, guys!" Link shouted. "This is the real deal here! Do or die!"

Onox stood at the ready while Wizzro was already starting to get cold feet…or rather, he would if he had feet. The former looked at the latter and rolled his eyes, but nonetheless callously waved his hand.

"Fine, then. Run away like a coward for all I care."

Wizzro did just that, thankful for it when Mako and Shanya engaged Onox. While it was painfully obvious they were getting about as much work done on him as Impa had, defeating him wasn't the primary concern. They just needed to hold him off.

"Don't worry, boss!" Mako shouted to Link. "We got this chump!"

Link nodded and helped Impa to his feet before Epona galloped up to her master and let out another cheered whinny.

"Perfect timing, Link!" Zelda cheered, hopping down from Epona's back. "I hope you don't mind that I borrowed Epona for a little bit."

"Not at all, Princess." Link said with a smile. "I'd say she's taken to you really well. She doesn't let just anyone ride her."

The great mare nevertheless whinnied and affectionately brushed her snout against her master's cheek. Link himself laughed and lightly patted her head.

"You treated the princess good, right?" he asked.

Epona dragged her front hoof along the ground and bobbed her head. Link patted her again before hauling himself up onto her back. He offered his hand to Zelda with arched eyebrows and a determined grin.

"What do you say, Princess?" he asked. "Ready to show 'em who's boss?"

Zelda smiled and pulled out a massive and elegant bow as Link pulled her onto Epona's back just behind him.

"Gladly. Shall we start with Wizzro?"

"Definitely." Link said before he adopted a look of anger as he stared forward at his intended target and shouted after him. "Get back here, you coward!"

Link snapped the reins and Epona was off like a bullet, Wizzro looking over his shoulder and feeling a tinge of panic rear up in his mind. Even if Link wasn't wielding the Master Sword anymore, that didn't make him any less of a threat, and Wizzro knew this first-hand.

"I'm honestly starting to see what Cia liked in him…"

He shook the thought out and kept going, Link and Zelda still a fair distance behind him but gaining fairly quickly. A swarm of Bokoblins and Stalfos stormed after them, only to be trampled on and launched out of the way once Epona picked up her pace. Either that or they ended up on the receiving end of Link's blade or got shot full of Zelda's arrows.

"Great shot, princess!" Link called.

"Heads up!" Zelda shouted back.

One Stalfos had chosen that time to footstool off of the head of one of its underlings and was now sailing right at them with its sword reared back, but Link was already two steps ahead of it. He pushed himself to a stand and launched himself from Epona's back. When the Hylian and the living skeleton at last met in mid-air, it took a single slash for the latter to succumb. Link was simply too fast for it, and this was only proven when the Stalfos' remains clattered to the ground while Link himself fell safely back onto the saddle on Epona's back.

"Nicely done." said Zelda with a sly grin. "Showing off a bit, though, aren't you?"

"Hey, I'm young." Link laughed. "Why not take advantage of it? Didn't hurt you too bad when I landed, did I, Epona?"

Epona whinnied. She was fine. As proven with getting Onox away from Impa, Epona was ridiculously strong for a horse and could easily be considered a threat even without someone riding her.

"Ah, damn." Zelda growled. "Looks like Wizzro got away."

"I wouldn't be too worried." said Link. "Knowing him, he'll probably pop up again for some 'foolproof surprise attack'."

Speaking of surprises, Mako, Shanya, and Impa ran up alongside them.

"Jeez, did you guys take care of that knight already?" Link asked.

"Actually, no." Mako said. "Tell you the truth, he was beating us around the bush like you wouldn't believe, then he just kinda…well, vanished."

"Vanished?"

"Yep. Disappeared. Went up in smoke. Poof. Gone…and because I just realized that Princess Zelda is sitting behind you, I'm just gonna get down on my knee out of respect if that's okay.

Zelda laughed.

"No need, Mako. Or is that Sir Mako judging from the banners you and Shanya are toting?"

Mako blushed and scratched at the back of his head, Shanya smiling and humorously patting him on the shoulder. Impa shared this smile and cracked a knuckle.

"For lieutenants, I have to say that they show a lot of potential." she said.

"Despite a few faults, but then again, that reminds me a lot of someone else I know."

Link rolled his eyes as his superior officer glanced over at him, but his attention was quickly drawn away by the enormous mob of dark forces approaching. The warriors gripped their weapons just as the Goron captain came rolling up to them.

"General Impa!" he called. "We've closed the mountain pass. There's a ton of monsters on the other side, but we've reinforced it pretty well."

"On the off chance they break through anyway?" Impa asked.

"We've got Bombchus ready to blow 'em to smithereens if they even think about it."

"Excellent! Now all we have to do is get rid of the ones within the perimeter."

"I don't doubt any of you guys, but there's a ton of them. Gotta be at least a thousand. How are you gonna take down that many?"

A simple smile from Zelda was all the captain needed to know that she was two steps ahead of the competition.

"The five of us will summon the Great Fairy. I want the rest of you guarding the castle's drawbridge in case Wizzro or Onox attempt an ambush. Understood?"

"Loud and clear, princess!" the Goron captain cheered before motioning to his comrades. "Let's do it, Brothers!"

"Alright!" Mako hollered. "Let's kick some ass!"

As the army of Hylian and Goron soldiers began sprinting toward the castle, the five mightiest warriors headed toward the solitary temple tucked into the nearby hills. With the kind of power the Great Fairy had at her disposal, turning the tide of the battle was a given. As the five slashed their way through the mob, they had high hopes when they reached the fountain steps.

To their surprise and dread, however, someone had beaten them there, and she didn't look friendly as muttered incantations under her breath and swayed her arms about in a strange sort of dance. Link could already feel a strange evil presence in the air, and the second he did, he stepped forward with his blade ready to strike.

"Hey!" he shouted as he and Zelda hopped down from Epona's back.

The sorceress stopped in mid-dance, stood up straight, and slowly turned around to meet Link's fiery gaze. She clearly wasn't a member of any species they recognized what with her blue skin, but her red hair as well as the markings on her purple-and-blue attire revealing more skin than Link cared for, it narrowed their options a fair bit. To Link's disgust, the sorceress gave him a seductive grin.

"Well, hello, handsome." she said with a light chuckle. "What brings you here?"

"Apparently you." Link growled, pointing his sword at this new adversary. "Who are you?"

"Oh, me? Just call me Veran. Granted, I prefer Lady Veran coming from any and all subordinates, but for you, I won't be fussy."

Link cracked his neck and kept himself fixed in a fighting stance. He already didn't like this woman, and that was besides the fact that she was part of this escapade against his home. In fact, she reminded him way too much Ghirahim for her haughty and elegant way of speaking (and the dancing, oddly enough), and Cia for her provocative attire and sultry voice. There was one massive difference from the latter: Link seriously doubted Veran was going to generate as much sympathy in him as Cia.

"Not that it really matters considering we'll cut you down either way," Zelda spat as she unsheathed her rapier. "But would you be so kind as to tell me why you and your army of monsters are disrupting our peace?"

"Ah, Princess Zelda." Veran said, her eyes nonchalantly half-shut. "Such a pretty young thing. Oh, the ways I'd love to corrupt you."

"…quite. Now answer me!"

Veran laughed, showing no signs of intimidation even as all five warriors stood with their weapons ready in the fountain's entrance. She snapped her fingers, Onox and Wizzro immediately appearing on either side of her.

"So you're the big kahuna here?" Mako spat. "Awesome. Hope you're in the mood for a knuckle sandwich."

"Sadly, no." Veran sighed. "I do have a fondness for childish violence, mind you, but this isn't really the time or place for me to get physical. Very sad, indeed."

"Take this invasion as more of a warning." said Onox. "It is simply the bidding of our master, and we are bound to serve him."

The mention of a master in reference to these three instantly left a foul image in Link's mind. What were they planning? With his spirit sealed away, Ganondorf wouldn't be coming back anytime soon…right?

"In any case," said Veran. "Perhaps we should keep the party going, yes?"

Within the pool behind Veran, there came a series of ripples as a thin column of light descended. All of a sudden, the light faded into a shadow as chains of violet light descended into the water, hanging loosely before straightening upon striking something. They slowly retracted, and dragged from the water the large and magnificent Great Fairy twisted into something hellish. She hung limp, strange violet markings licking her now-dark skin and her hair waving about as if in a violent wind. More disturbing were her fingernails, having lengthened into sizable claws.

"Sweet flaming arms of Din, what is that thing?!" Mako sputtered.

"The Great Fairy…" Zelda said in horror before looking at Veran with a venomous glare. "What have you done to her?!"

Veran smirked with a roll of her eyes, and that was nearly enough for Link to run straight up to her and stab her through the chest.

"Just made a few minor alterations. If you'd like to take revenge on us for this, go ahead. By all means…well, by all means as long as you make it out of this. Judging from your performance so far, I don't doubt at least a few of you will. Ta-ta for now."

Link finally chose that moment to rush forward at Veran, but only succeeded in stabbing empty air when she vanished without a trace, taking Onox and Wizzro with her. Zelda stepped forward toward the Great Fairy, not realizing how much of a mistake this was until the ethereal being opened her eyes. They were completely red; no irises, no pupils.

As soon as she saw the five figures before her, the Great Fairy gritted her teeth, spread her arms apart, and unleashed a mighty screech. As she did, the walls and ceiling of the temple began to shake, pieces starting to crash to the floor as they cracked.

"Run!" Zelda shouted.

And they ran, and the moment they escaped the temple, the newly-summoned Omega Fairy blasted through the ceiling. She gazed down at the battlefield, relishing in the fear she saw in the Hyrulean soldiers before she dove like a bird of prey, raining lightning down on the field and watching the soldiers start to flee. Impa however was quick to stop them, one mighty swing sending the closest lightning bolt shooting away,

"Don't even think about trying to run away on us!" she hollered.

"But General Impa, we can't fight something like that!" one of the younger soldiers whined.

"You are men of Hyrule! You will stand your ground and fight no matter what happens! I want heavier defenses on the castle! Get a move on!"

The Omega Fairy kept moving ridiculously fast even as the archers on the castle's battlements fired arrow after arrow at her. She swooped down every once in a while, either tearing up large chunks of the earth with her claws or bombarding the helpless soldiers with lightning and spheres of energy. She smiled cruelly at the destruction she caused, only turning away from it when she felt an arrow stick into her shoulder. It hadn't hurt, but it had certainly irritated her, especially with its green-clad firer mocking her.

"Right here, sweetheart!" he called. "I had one crazy witch lady after me and now I got another one winking at me, so hey. Why not add an evil fairy to that list?"

The Omega Fairy roared and dove right at him with her claws outstretched, clearly unaware of nimble Link was until he vaulted over. The second he landed behind her and she began to lift into the air again, he dug out another one of his fancy tools, this time in the form of the Clawshot. He let it fire before the fairy got too far away, and once it latched onto her hair, the chain pulled him toward her at high speed. He seized one of the many vines wrapped around her body, and against the violent wind rushing past as well as the fairy herself trying to buck him off, he began to pull himself toward her head.

"She ain't makin' it easy for me, that's for sure." he growled.

When he at last made it to her head, he did something that no man or woman ever should have done lest they be labelled one of the worst Hylians to ever exist: he curled his arms around the Omega Fairy's head and wrestled it until she was looking down. As a result, she ended up in an extremely fast descent, shrieking and clawing at Link the whole time. Zelda was already way ahead of him, firing at the Omega Fairy's hands whenever one of the claws strayed too close to Link for comfort.

"Come on, don't slack now…" she muttered to herself over and over again.

One misfired bow was all it took for the Omega Fairy to finally get a hold of her attacker, throwing him sky-high and launching an energy sphere at him. She really shouldn't have counted on him being defenseless, however, as he withdrew his blade and slashed the sphere right back at her. A little bit of dead man's volley ensued, the sphere getting faster and faster until it finally detonated. The terrible part was who it detonated on.

"Good Nayru, no!" Mako panicked.

"LINK!" Zelda screamed.

The blow left Link in complete shock, even unable to scream as he engaged in a freefall toward the ground far below. Luckily, Impa was still on her toes and already had a rescue plan underway.

"Epona!" she called.

In response, Epona lowered her head just as Impa broke into a run toward her. The Sheikah warrior hopped onto the mare's back, and with another strong push, she launched herself toward Link like a rocket. Link grunted as Impa seized him around the middle, but when she slid to a stop on her feet and gently placed him down in a sitting position.

"What in Din's name were you thinking, Link?!" Impa half-shouted. "You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"We're gonna get killed if we let her run amok like this!" Link said back.

It already looked like that was what it was going to be as the Omega Fairy smiled almost maniacally and raised her hand to the sky. A massive sphere of energy slowly conjured, Zelda firing everything she had at her but realizing too late that even the legendary Light Arrows were horribly ineffective against a being such as this.

Link and Impa stood straight and braced themselves to strike back against the sphere (as difficult as they knew it would be to deflect something that large) as the Omega Fairy cast it, when…

…it vanished.

"What in the world?" Impa started.

Then they saw him. Floating in mid-air with his arms crossed behind his head after catching and somehow dispelling the giant sphere was none other than the little imp that Link and his lieutenants had encountered in the forest. He looked over his shoulder at Link and saluted him before speaking.

"You guys need some help?" he asked.

"Skull Kid?! What are you doing here?!" Link sputtered.

"I was kinda curious to see what was going on, so I tagged along with you. You didn't notice me following you?"

A negative answer, but it didn't matter to Skull Kid nor the Omega Fairy as she charged headlong at him with her claws flexed. Skull Kid shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"You shouldn't have done that…"

Skull Kid raised his hands to the sky and let out a shill cry. A strange aura generated above him, growing more and more prominent the longer he shouted. There was a loud and deep hum as well as a strong gust of wind, and when the Omega Fairy finally reached him, it almost looked like she had slammed right into a brick wall. She cried in pain, full-on screaming when Skull Kid swung his arms downward and the invisible force stuck her down to the ground. He kept her pinned down while he quickly descended, and Zelda was the first to rush forward, producing (of all things) an ocarina.

"Let it be known, Veran," she muttered as though the witch would hear her. "We will always find a way."

Zelda pressed her lips to the mouthpiece and blew. The song she played echoed throughout the battlefield as a soft and beautiful melody, and all who heard it found their spirits soothed. The Omega Fairy in particular slowed her angry and malevolent panting, her breath becoming softer and calmer as the song escalated. The warriors watched as a violet light enveloped her body, then slowly drew off of her into a packed sphere in front of them.

As the light left the Great Fairy's body, her natural colors returned, her eyes softly closed but her light breathing indicating that she was perfectly fine. Finally, the violet sphere took a more finite yet odd shape: a mask in the shape of the Great Fairy's face that clattered onto the ground. Zelda breathed out as she finished the song and parted the mystical instrument from her lips.

"It's done."

With a light groan, the Great Fairy lifted herself into a sitting position and shook out the dizziness as she drearily looked about at her surroundings.

"What…what have I been doing…" she mumbled.

"Great Fairy, are you alright?" Zelda asked.

"Of course, princess, but…dear goddesses, did I do that?"

"Unfortunately, yes. A sorceress named Veran inflicted a sort of curse on you."

"Veran? …curious name. In any case, I…"

Zelda held up her hand, wearing the smile she was known across the land for. A smile of total forgiveness. There was no way she couldn't forgive the Great Fairy.

"It's nothing. I'm just glad you're okay."

The Great Fairy brushed herself off and lifted off the ground, responding to the princess with her trademark laugh. An odd laugh as it was friendly, seductive, and even somewhat insane all at the same time.

"No need to worry about me, Zelda. I'd be more worried about Link."

Link flinched when the giant fairy mentioned his name and flushed bright red when said fairy gave him an endearing smile.

"I must say you're quite strong for a mere mortal, dear." the Great Fairy giggled. "I actually kind of enjoyed you grabbing me like that."

"Uhh…o-okay…"

"And did you by chance call me 'sweetheart' while we were having that little scuffle back there?"

"Uhh...uhh...hey, stop laughing, Mako!"

At that point, it wasn't just Mako. Every soldier close enough to see the exchange began laughing. Even Impa and Shanya (one a real stick in the mud sometimes and the other simply incapable of vocalization by the looks of it) couldn't help but smirk.

"In any case," the Great Fairy beamed. "If any of you need my help, you know where to find me. Come visit soon, okay?"

And with a blown kiss and another wild laugh, she vanished in a flash of pink light. A light dust was left in her wake, and as it settled on all the soldiers, it filled them with a strange comfort. The wounded ones even found themselves standing up and brushing themselves off as though nothing had happened. Zelda sighed in relief at the sight, though snickered slightly when Mako broke the silence between the five warriors.

"Well, THAT was fun." he said with a shrug. "Quick question, though. Was, um…was she always like that?

"Buddy, if I knew whether or not she was and why she's kinda extra nice to me, I'd tell you." Link said with a roll of his eyes. "Anyway, Skull Kid, you said you wanted to show us something?"

Skull Kid snapped to attention and nodded.

"Yeah. I know where those three came from."

"Veran and all them?"

"Yeah. But can I see Zelda first?"

Zelda stepped forward and knelt down to make herself level with the little imp, who promptly scurried up to her. Zelda stayed entranced by the eyes of the mask as Skull Kid stared at her for a brief moment, looking away only when he softly took her hand and examined it. Something about that mask, though…it seemed malevolent. She couldn't explain how, and it didn't look like Skull Kid could even feel it. What greatly concerned her, however, was the act he had pulled on the Great Fairy. As awe-inspiring as it was, she seriously doubted that he had done it on his own.

"That's a very lovely mask." she said.

"Thanks!" Skull Kid said cheerily.

"Why don't you take it off? There's nothing to hide from me, is there?"

"Sorry, I can't. A friend of mine gave it to me and I promised I'd keep it on until I saw her again."

"Interesting…where is this friend of yours?"

Skull Kid nodded at the sight of the Triforce of Wisdom and let Zelda stand before he spoke any further.

"She's actually from the same place those guys are from. It's called Termina."

While many of the soldiers pondered on where or even what this place was, Zelda snapped to attention at the name. Termina. She'd never in a million years expect any enemy of hers to be from there. Embarking there would be treacherous, but she had little cause for worry with all her powerful allies.

"Can you take us there?" Impa asked.

"Actually…no." said Skull Kid.

"No?"

"I only managed to get here because my friend sent me through. She told me that to get back, I'd need to find three keys scattered across three different eras of time. But she didn't really tell me exactly where they would be."

Mako shrugged.

"I'd say it's worth the risk. We can't have those three coming back, can we? That, and we kinda owe him one for saving our butts back there. But how are we supposed to get those keys? It's not like we can just snap our fingers and pop up two hundred years in the past or whatever, right?"

Mako, Shanya, and Skull Kid may not have figured out a way to do that, but Impa, Zelda, and Link certainly had. The latter two looked at each other with bright smiles on their faces as they recounted the events they'd been through with one more vital ally. One vital ally that had no limits when it came to space and time.

"We can't," said Link. "But we know someone who can."

* * *

_**I know I probably should have expected this since out of all game series, Legend of Zelda is fifth in terms of the number of stories written (behind Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, and Sonic if my memory serves me correctly). But quite frankly, the reception I've gotten for the first two chapters of this story has been absolutely amazing, so thank you to everyone who has or will follow/favorite this story.**_

_**A very special thanks to the folks who reviewed it, particularly PrincessChrom who posted an extra-long one. And given something she mentioned in her review as well as something I mentioned in the first chapter, I feel it's the appropriate time to bring it up now. Later on, Link and the gang will have some encounters with character from four other Nintendo series. What are they? Hint time. One is a turn-based strategy RPG, one (as of the latest entry) is a third-person shooter/rail shooter, one is an action-adventure with shooter elements, and one is a straight-up action RPG. I'll leave the speculating from there up to you guys. **_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)


	4. Through the Passage of Time

CHAPTER FOUR

**Through the Passage of Time**

Once they were sure all the wounded had been tended to, Link and Zelda set out, Impa and Link's two lieutenants volunteering to go along with them. With just the five of them along with Epona and Skull Kid, it seemed like a foolish idea not to bring the entire army along, but they couldn't risk a sneak attack on Hyrule Castle in their absence nor could they risk losing a great deal of soldiers on their time-hopping voyage. Besides, if they were headed where Link, Zelda, and Impa thought they were headed, they were fairly sure they'd be fairly well equipped to deal with whatever they'd have to face.

After they had set out, they'd taken a short rest on the edge of the Valley of Seers before continuing straight onward to the Temple of Souls. For a moment, they doubted they'd find what they were looking as they pushed their way through the dark forest where they vaguely remembered the temple being. Its current inhabitant was no fool; even if she was all alone in the temple, she'd stock if full of ghosts, set up various traps, or just make it invisible to make sure no one malevolent found her.

Thankfully, there had been no reason to fear getting lost. They heard the light flowing of a fountain, and as they parted the last few branches in front of them, they saw it. When it had been under Cia's dominion, it had been the very definition of twisted (both literally and figuratively). Now, however, it looked far less like a festering place of evil and madness and much more like a luscious home. The bricks making up the temple were of the purest white, and the rose garden surrounding the temple had lost its thorns, the roses themselves turning ocean-blue. They approached the beautifully carven door, gazing about at all the beautiful surroundings before Zelda knocked. The sound echoed throughout the temple, and when there was no answer, Zelda slowly pushed the door open.

"Are you sure she's here?" Mako asked.

"Positive." said Link. "As much as I hate to say it, she doesn't really have much of a reason to leave."

"So why didn't she answer the door? Is she hiding?"

"We'll see, won't we?"

As they entered the foyer, they took the time to admire every little intricacy from the artificial moonlight streaming through the cracks in the ceiling to the massive tree growing in the center of the room whose branches hung over them like an umbrella to the painting lined along the walls.

Speaking of the paintings,Link remembered in disturbing detail that many of them had been of him when Cia occupied this palace. Now, though, they were much more welcoming. In this semi-gallery, there was indeed a large painting of him, but there was also one for each ally he and Lana had meet on their previous journey together. There was naturally one for Impa and one for Zelda (Zelda's alter-ego Sheik appearing in the same one), but there were also paintings for the warriors from across the ages.

Each of them had been a vital part of their previous mission, and each had been just as wonderful to fight alongside. Even if each one had an odd quirk, Darunia a bit rough around the edges, Ruto being far too prideful for her own good, Midna having a sharp tongue in addition to her sharp wit, Agitha having a slightly unhealthy obsession with insects and a very childish personality (which was fitting since she couldn't have been more than ten), and Fi having no emotions to speak of. Nevertheless, Link, Zelda, and Impa remembered their journey together very fondly and would gladly go through it again if only to spend more time with them.

"Looks like whoever lives here has fond memories of you guys." said Skull Kid. "What did you say her name was?"

"Her name is Lana." said Zelda. "Don't worry, she's very friendly."

"Can she get us to the keys?"

"I'm sure she'll do her best…between you and I, she has a massive crush on Link, so she'll do it just to make him happy."

She couldn't be sure, but she had the feeling that Skull Kid raised an eyebrow at her.

"Doesn't every girl he meets have a crush on him? Heck, don't you?"

Zelda flushed bright red as Link heard the conversation and looked over at the two of them with a raised eyebrow, and as she turned away, Skull Kid started snickering. Before anyone could ask anything, Zelda quickly gave the orders.

"Let's split up and see if any of us can find Lana. Skull Kid, I'd like you to come with me. We'll search the west hall. Impa and Shanya, you take the east. Link and Mako, you go upstairs and search the second floor."

They parted, Epona following Link and Mako as they trudged up the carpeted stairs. Link smiled as his loyal steed brushed her snout against him, softly patting her while Mako looked on with his own grin.

"She really likes you, huh?" the young Zora asked. "How did you catch her, anyway?"

"Catch her?" said Link. "No, no, I didn't catch her. She came to me."

"You, uh, care to explain?"

"I don't really have any solid memories of my parents or anything. Hell, I kinda forget everything that happened to me before I was five. I was wandering around the field looking for a place to live, and I ended up falling asleep under a tree and singing this song to myself that I think my mom used to sing to me to lull me to sleep. Next thing I knew, I woke up and there was a baby horse sniffing me. I figured she'd lost her parents, too, so I let her tag along with me and we've been thick as thieves ever since."

Epona whinnied and nudged Link again, but she quickly took notice of something in the makeshift bag Mako had slung around his back. She began nudging him as well, and when Link finally took notice, it was only when he saw a very familiar shape edge into view.

"You kept that mask from the Great Fairy?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

"Why?"

"I dunno. I've just kind of been into collecting masks since I was just a squirt."

"Interesting. Now I get to hear a touching story."

Mako rolled his eyes with a smile, yet continued. Sharing his hobby was something he always enjoyed doing even if it seemed a little odd at first glance.

"I was a little ways out from Zora's Domain one day with some of my friends, and we saw this weird-looking guy pass by us with a huge backpack. There were like a ton of masks hanging off of it, and one of them really caught my eye. It was this one."

He promptly reached into his bag and withdrew a strange grey mask with wide red eyes. It was admittedly disturbing to look at, and Link was quick to call him on it.

"Creepy."

"Yeah, kinda, but I liked it, so I ran up to him and I bought it. Apparently this was some kinda torture device back in the day because it supposedly prevents you from falling asleep if you wear it. I don't really wanna risk finding out 'cause hey. I like my sleep, man."

"Who told you that?"

"The mask guy, actually. I'm pretty sure he was just trying to scare me, though…not that him being a bit of creep didn't already do that."

Link snickered before he became distracted by the hole in the wall. In any other building, this would have been a sign of a lazy owner, and under Cia's dominion, there had been nothing but a swirling violet vortex on the other side as if that made any sense. Now, however, it was a twinkling field of stars, miniature galaxies swooping by every now and then. It seemed like Lana had gone all the way to make this place as warm and welcoming as she could, and she had undoubtedly succeeded. It was this kind of purity that Link couldn't help but admire…and wish that Cia had.

"Damn it. Gotta stop thinking about her…"

As they rounded the corner after clearing the last step, Mako stopped in his tracks.

"Um, Link? You probably know better than I, but I'm pretty sure buddy over there doesn't live here."

Link at first question what Mako was going on about, but as he looked around the corner and saw the lone and ridiculously tall figure stalking the halls, examining the various paintings as he went. He stopped in front of a large portrait of Link, and as he turned to it, Link and Mako could make out his face. Sharp blue markings licked his chiseled face, contrasting against his snowy white hair. Otherwise, the rest of his body was hidden under a thick black cloak adorned with the various symbols of the three goddesses. His most astounding feature was his eyes; they were completely blank.

No matter who he was or what his purpose was, the vibe Link got from him was enough to dub him a threat almost immediately.

"Hey! You!"

The figure turned toward the green-clad hero, looking a bit shocked at the sight of him but nonetheless standing strong when he lunged forward. Working with his momentum, Link jumped high into the air with his sword raised, not realizing what kind of situation he had put himself in until he saw the figure generate his massive weapon from nowhere: a blade in a double helix shape. One casual swing was enough to knock Link backward onto his rear end even if he raised his shield in time, and the man's sword had already dissipated when Mako rushed to Link's aid.

Then he lowered his hood and let Link and Mako get a good look at his face in full detail. Link in particular was troubled when he made a single relevant observation, but that single observation was enough that he knew he'd remember this man's face until the day he died. Why?

"He looks like…me!"

Then the man spoke in a deep and menacing voice that once again forced Link to compare the two of them at how similar they sounded.

"Choose your battles wisely, Link."

"Who the hell are you?!" Link demanded as Mako helped him to his feet. "How do you know my name?!"

He received no answer as the figure disappeared in a bright flash, leaving Link and Mako to wonder what had just happened as the rest of their allies dashed up to them.

"What just happened?!" Impa asked. "We heard fighting!"

"There was this…man here." said Mako. "He looked kinda like…like Link."

"What? Where did he go?"

"Dunno. He basically told Link to watch his ass and then just went up in smoke…hey, if I knew exactly what the hell was going on, don't you think I'd tell you?"

Then Skull Kid scurried forward and said perhaps the most intriguing thing.

"What did he look like exactly? Did he have weird marks on his face."

"Yeah…" said Link. "White hair, too. And a giant twisting sword."

All of a sudden, Skull Kid's mask violently shook on his face, yet Skull Kid himself didn't seem to even notice it. In fact, he looked around at his companions when they all began looking at him like…well, like he had a bug on his face.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing, just saw something kind of weird…" Mako said. "So do you know this guy, buddy?"

"Mm-hm. That friend of mine I told you about said that he's really dangerous. He'll try to wreck us every chance he gets, so we need to keep an eye out for him."

"Awesome. He got a name?"

"She didn't tell me that. She just said he's some kinda demon."

"Well, I'll give your friend that much. He sure looked like a demon to me."

It may have been a very pressing issue, but it was quickly forgotten when the group looked at the shimmering double doors before them, the sun the left door and the crescent moon on the right. Steadily, Link pushed them apart just enough that he could see inside the room. If the rest of the temple was breath-taking, this room was beauty incarnate. Though Link could make out the outlines of walls in the octagonal room, one would be forgiven for thinking the room had infinite space since the walls were built from fields of stars. There were still windows looking on the back wall providing a decent view of the world outside, but the most outstanding feature was the room's centerpiece: an enormous white four-poster bed.

With a very familiar face sleeping in it.

Link didn't even need to say anything to his comrades as he looked around at them, specifically at Zelda. She simply saw the excited smile on his face and nodded with her own. Slowly, Link edged himself into the room and shut the door behind him, catching a mysterious and soothing whiff of a scent he didn't recognize. He noticed the same portraits of him and his allies lined along the walls, but noticed two others. One was of the mighty dragon knight Volga, and the other was of (to his disturbance) Cia.

Seeing a portrait of Volga despite him being one of their primary enemies in the previous war was understandable. He had been the guardian of the Eldin Caves before Cia had brainwashed him into becoming her subordinate. He and Link had fought numerous times, and Link never saw his true nature until the final fight which sadly cost the dragon knight his life. Zelda had freed him from Cia's influence, and were there had been a violent and blood-thirsty monster then became a stern but just being whose lot in life was the thrill of battle. The final fight had been one that Link would remember forever, and he felt sombre as he had dealt the final blow to Volga, who accepted this final loss from Link with honor and died without any regrets.

And though it shocked Link that Lana kept a portrait of Cia in her bedroom at first, it became more realistic the more he thought about it. Lana and Cia had been the same powerful sorceress before Ganondorf took advantage of the light curiosity in her heart and split her in two. As he had thought before, Lana had been the one most devastated by Cia's death. In fact, she had very nearly broken down in tears right in front of him, and it pained him that there was nothing he could do to ease her suffering.

It pained him even more that he was the cause of it.

"Oh, Lana…" he sighed. "Bless your innocent heart."

He let the sentiments flow out and smiled over at Lana, breathing softly and curled up underneath her blanket. Link steadily approached her, taking small and quiet steps so he didn't wake her too suddenly. He knelt by the side of her bed and gazed at her face for a few moments. It occurred to him now that he had taken her beauty for granted because she was a means to an end on their previous journey, but seeing her now was a breath of fresh air.

He wouldn't wait any longer. He slipped off the glove on his right hand and gently reached for her, his fingers tingling as he brushed them against her soft and warm cheek.

"Lana." he whispered.

As if on cue, Lana began to stir. She left out a tired moan as she regained consciousness and slowly sat up in her bed. She rubbed as much of the sleep out of her violet eyes as she could before she turned her head toward Link, still looking like she could use a few more minutes of sleep. The second she saw Link smiling at her, however, the drowsiness was gone in an instant. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open slightly in surprise, shocked that he was even there to begin with. When she let it sink in, that was when the gasp turned into an overjoyed smile.

"Link!" she cried gleefully as she threw her arms around the hero.

"Good to see you, too."

"What are you doing here?! I thought that…oh, what does it matter? I'm just so happy to see you! Did you come by yourself?"  
"Actually, no. Come on in, everybody!"

Zelda parted the doors and the rest of the group walked in, Mako flushing bright red when he got a good look at Lana. Shanya and Link both tried not to laugh at their companion. In their experience, Mako was most interested in three things: fighting, apparently mask collecting, and girls.

Needless to say, he was pretty good at the first two. The third one? Please refer to his reaction to Lana.

They got the greetings out of the way, Lana raising an eyebrow at the sheepish Mako but nonetheless cheerily welcoming him and everyone else to her home.

"So what brings you all here?" she asked.

"Alas, Lana, a declaration of war." said Impa. "Hyrule Castle was attacked."

"What? By who?"

"A knight named Onox and a sorceress named Veran. Believe it or not, Wizzro was among them."

"Wizzro? I thought Link killed him."

Link shrugged.

"So did I. I think it's safe to say they're not to be ignored, though. They actually managed to corrupt the Great Fairy."

"I see…so what should we do? Do we have any idea where their base is?"

"Yes. Skull Kid said it's in a place called Termina."

Lana bit her lip, and as soon as someone noticed this, they were quick to call her on it.

"What's wrong with that?" Mako asked.

It was Zelda's turn to speak, and what she said was truly chilling.

"You see, Mako, Termina doesn't exist on the same plane of existence as Hyrule. It is a world the goddesses completely separated from ours. Not to keep us out, but to keep a terrible force locked within."

"Veran and Onox?" said Mako.

"Potentially, but Veran mentioned that she wasn't the driving force of their army."

"You don't think…it's that guy that we don't talk about, do you?"

"Ganondorf? I doubt it. He may have been ambitious, but on top of him being sealed away, I don't think he'd go to that much effort."

Much like the rest of the group, Lana harboured an unrestrained grudge for Ganondorf for obvious reasons. Even if Cia wasn't all good, she wasn't all bad, either, but because of Ganondorf interference, Lana was separated from Cia forever. He could never be forgiven for that. That or any of the other endless atrocities he had committed.

"So are you with us, Lana?" Link asked.

She looked at him with a smile. Even if this wasn't a matter of great importance, she couldn't say no to him.

"Absolutely." she said. "What exactly did you need me to do?"

"We'll have Skull Kid explain." said Link.

Skull Kid scurried up to Lana, marvelled by her beauty. Lana found herself already liking the little imp, judging from his posture and the manner in which he moved that he was a very curious and energetic being. Just like Zelda, however, his mask greatly disturbed her. Not its design since it was actually rather appealing, but the energy she could feel radiating from it. Nevertheless, she didn't comment on it as Skull Kid began to speak.

"There's three keys that'll open the way to Termina," he said. "But they're all hidden across different periods of Hyrule's time. I guess so no one will let out that monster or whatever the evil thing is by accident."

"Who told you that?" Lana asked.

"My friend in Termina. She said she wanted to come, but she couldn't."

"What's her name?"

"She told me not to tell anyone that. I guess she's really nervous about meeting people."

Lana chuckled.

"I can understand that. Did she show you what the keys looked like?"

"Yep. They don't really look like keys. There more like these weird orb things. I can draw them for you."

"That's alright. I have a better way. Could I see your hands for a minute?"

Skull Kid held out his hands and Lana gently grasped them, shutting her eyes and searching through his mind for a perfect image of the keys. Skull Kid turned her right hand over in his, surprised to find a glowing Triforce symbol.

"Hey, you have a Triforce, too!" he said.

"Mm-hm." chirped Lana. "It's the Triforce of Power."

"Neat! What can you do with it?"

"Just watch. You're about to see something really neat."

She continued looking for Skull Kid's image of the keys, finding them with relative ease. Just like Skull Kid said, each was a large palm-sized orb and each bore the symbol of their respective goddesses. She opened her eyes and nodded, parting from Skull Kid and raising her hands in front of her after stepping back a little ways.

The group watched in wonder as a network of time periods appeared along the walls. Thousands and thousands of years across different lines of time all physically manifested before them, some they knew and many they didn't. Lana moved her hands, rotating the network until she found the three eras she wanted.

"I see them. One in a temple at the edge of a treacherous desert, one in a palace shrouded in the shadows, and one high in the sky within a dome of clouds. All in the same eras we visited before. The Spirit Temple, the Palace of Twilight, and the Thunderhead."

"That's what we were hoping for." said Zelda. "In that case, we should be able to find our former allies and enlist their help again."

"Perfect. I'll generate the gates."

Lana snapped her fingers, and a leather-bound tome appeared in her hands. She levitated it in front of her, telekinetically shifting through the pages as she hummed an incantation. She let the energy escalate until it manifested as a bright golden light in her hand, and when the incantation was finished, she cast the energy into the empty space in front of her. With that, three golden portals generated side-by-side, displaying their destinations on the other side.

"We'll get this done much faster if we split up." said Zelda. "Impa, you go to the Spirit Temple and see if you can find Darunia and Ruto. Link, you go to the Thunderhead. We definitely want Fi on our side, and she seems to trust you the most."

"What about you?" Link asked. "I don't doubt Midna and Agitha or anything, but…"

"It takes a princess to know a princess. I'll be fine."

"Alright, but you're not going by yourself. Mako, you go with the princess. Shanya, you go with Impa. Lana, you come with me."

Mako, Shanya, and Lana each nodded and lined up next to their companions. Epona stepped toward Link, desperately wanting to stay with him through thick and thin, but Link held out his hand. He sadly smiled and tenderly petted his steed's head.

"Sorry, girl. Coming with me where I'm going isn't a good idea. Go with Zelda, alright? She'll take good care of you."

Epona whinnied and nudged him. She was insisting, and Link somehow knew it wasn't because of sticking with what she knew but fearing for his safety.

"Don't worry. I've got Lana with me. I'll be fine."

Epona whinnied again, but nonetheless accepted her master's decision and walked up to Zelda who patted her side.

"Link will be fine, Epona." she said. "You have nothing to worry about…oh, and Skull Kid?"

Skull Kid snapped to attention. He had been about to ask what he could do before Zelda had spoken.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I'd like you to come with me. I want to know some more about this friend of yours."

"Umm…okay. There's not really a whole lot I can tell you, though."

"That's fine. Just stick close to me, alright?"

Skull Kid said nothing else and scurried next to Zelda. She didn't want to sound overtly suspicious, but it couldn't be helped. Skull Kid's appearance and the attack on Hyrule Castle happening at nearly the exact same time couldn't be a coincidence. She needed to know everything.

"Shanya!" Link called. "Do exactly what Impa tells you. She's the best soldier anyone could ask for."

Shanya nodded. It was difficult for her to venture anywhere with someone other than the two people she trusted most, but if her commander requested it, it would be done.

"And Mako!" Link continued. "You make sure you don't let the princess get hurt, got it? Protect her with your life."

"Gotcha. Can we get the show on the road now?" said Mako. "I don't mean to sound rude, but I'm actually kind of excited."

"I think I see why Link picked you." Zelda laughed.

Impa saluted her departing allies, particularly Zelda. She hated to leave the princess's side for even a moment for fear that something would happen to her, but it was by her demand that this task would be completed.

"Good luck, everyone!" she called. "May we all return safely and ready to face our new enemies!"

Impa and Shanya vanished into their portal, Zelda and her three companions walking into theirs some after. As Zelda entered, however, she turned to look at Link one last time. The sad smile she gave him caught him off-guard, as did the wave she gave him. He managed to work up his own smile and wave regardless, yet felt surprisingly empty as Zelda vanished. Lana noticed nearly immediately, cursing herself for her minor jealousy. She accepted that Link wasn't hers to have, and the fact that she still felt upset about that made her angry at herself. Nevertheless, that wasn't important now.

"Well," she said, motioning toward the last portal. "Should we get going?"

Link looked at the portal, then at Lana. He nodded, a look of determination set firmly on his face.

"Yeah. Let's do this."

They proceeded, Link keeping Zelda in his mind the entire time. He knew he'd see her again, so what was he getting so upset for? Was it really worth getting so down in the dumps that it hurt his chest?

No, that wasn't it. Chests weren't supposed to sting this much when people felt depressed.

"Agh…" he winced.

"What's wrong, Link?" Lana asked.

"Nothing…just got a little cramp in my chest for some reason."

"Just a cramp?"

"Don't worry about it. I can tough it out."

That may have been what he thought, but within him, Lana sensed something worse than a simple cramp. Far worse. Within the depths of Link's pure heart, she sensed a malevolent force that she hadn't sensed in a good deal of time now.

She knew it all too well, for it had once been a part of her.

* * *

_**And thus begins the real adventure. Expect some familiar faces in the next chapter...or lines of text representing familiar faces since...never mind.**_

_**On the subject of Lana, I've noticed she gets kind of mixed reactions compared to her evil counterpart. Some people like her because of her connection to Cia and the story of Hyrule Warriors, and some people really don't because she acts too much like a J-pop idol and her voice can get really annoying. I'm kind of on the fence about her for all of the above reasons, and in terms of actual gameplay, I gotta say that her Summoning Gate is (for me at least) probably the worst weapon in the game. I always dread having to use it against tougher enemies since it's slow and relative ineffective. Oh, well. The Book of Sorcery and the Deku Spear work well enough. Speaking of the Deku Spear, I can't help but think that it would have been perfect as Saria's weapon if she were playable.**_

_**Hint hint for next chapter. On that note, I'm out. **_


	5. Arrival in the Lost Woods

CHAPTER FIVE

**Arrival in the Lost Woods**

Impa and Shanya were the types to be prepared for anything, so when they appeared on the other side of their gate and ran into an army of ravenous wolf-like creatures, they hadn't been caught off-guard as these monsters had hoped. As the two warrior women dashed between the trees and through the numerous clearing in this strange and lovely forest, they hacked and slashed their way through the crowd of feral beasts as they searched hard for an exit.

Sadly, you and I know this place better than they did, and before long, they found that there were looping in an endless circle no matter how many times they passed through a hollowed tunnel they thought they hadn't gone done yet. Even when they were sure they weren't being chased, they found it more and more stressful the sooner they realized they weren't getting anywhere.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" Impa shouted when she saw they were passing the same scratched tree for the sixty-fourth time (she was exaggerating, of course). "Can this forest just end already?"

They finally came to a stop and caught their breath. They'd figured retrieving the key from the Spirit Temple wouldn't be easy considering where exactly it was, but they didn't think for a second that their most pressing issue was getting lost in the woods. Quite frankly, it was humiliating.

Then Shanya patted Impa's shoulder, lightly tapping her ear. Listen, Shanya was commanding her, so she did. The enigmatic nature of the forest escalated when they heard a soft and cheery song echoing from somewhere deeper within the forest. A very intriguing little melody, but the question was whether or not it would lead them out of the forest.

"I suppose it's better than waiting for more monsters to come for us." Impa muttered. "Very well. Let's have a look."

They took off, examining each tunnel they came across to make sure they were going the right way. If the song got louder, they'd continue on. If not, they'd double back and try a different one. They encountered no monsters on the way there, suggesting that the Wolfos that had attacked them had just been some of the local wildlife.

Nevertheless, the melody got louder and louder until they entered a large clearing, a square stone entryway before them. It took no genius to assume this led straight into another maze. While its stone walls weren't sky high or anything, they were too high to try and climb up, leaving them no choice but to go straight through. At this point, Impa started thinking that she probably should have picked the Palace of Twilight. At least there she'd spend more time actually making herself useful than trying to figure out where the sam hell to go.

"Shall we?" Impa asked, a part of her hoping Shanya would suggest looking for another path.

But no. Shanya nodded, and the two dashed into the maze, making sure they stuck together out of fear one of them might end up getting trapped. That, and they could hear a slow thumping sound coming from around the corner accompanied by loud pig-like grunts.

Fittingly, when they peeked around the corner, they saw what they believed was a Moblin judging from its appearance, but it was far bigger than any Moblin they'd ever seen. Impa and Shanya looked at each other and nodded before stepping directly into the pig-man's line of sight. The moment he saw them, he let out a loud roar, pointed his spear forward and charged, clearly unaware of what the two women were capable of.

"Move!" Impa shouted to Shanya. "NOW!"

The two jumped away I opposite directions, kicking off their respective walls and propelling themselves toward the Moblin. With one powerful slash each, the great beast collapsed, but the roar he let out as he perished set off a chain reaction of other roars. Other Moblins in the labyrinth had been alerted to the warriors' presence, and they could already the pig-men coming for them. Not a very good thing when our two heroes didn't know this trap of stone and dirt like its guards did.

"Sounds like we just rang the bloody dinner bell…" Impa growled. "Let's go!"

They ran, turning their heads every so once in a while to spot the shadows of the Moblins coming after them. Not a welcoming sight, and neither was making a wrong turn and running into a dead end. As they ran back and took the opposite path, the Moblins rounded the corner quickly enough to spot them and increase their speed. They approached a fork in the road, and Impa got the perfect idea as she reached into her pocket.

"Hold on a second." she said.

Shanya rightfully looked at the Sheikah like she was insane, but remembered her commander's orders and obliged. The Moblins rounded the corner, saw their targets and charged headlong at them. Thus, Impa acted. She pulled the small gray sphere from her pocket and threw it down as hard as she could. When it struck the ground, it detonated into a cloud of smoke, obscuring the Moblins' vision long enough for Impa and Shanya to run down what they thought was the right way while the Moblins ran the opposite way once the smoke had cleared. As the stone walkway began to ascend, the two thought that they'd finally found their way out.

Well, they had judging from the dim light coming from the grassy path in front of them, but said exit was sadly blocked by (what else) another Moblin, this one slightly bigger and carrying a club as thick as his arm. The moment he saw the two women, he roared and slammed his club against the ground, generating a shockwave that shot toward them at lightning speed. They moved quickly, strafing around each subsequent shockwave, Impa showing off some impressive athletic skill as she ran along the wall and vaulted around behind the Moblin as he took a massive swing at her. Shanya meanwhile sidled by him once he was open, and before he could turn around to strike at the two again, the blades already sank into him and he dropped dead.

"Good moves!" Impa called to her companion.

She got no more than a simple nod in return. Though Impa could definitely say that Shanya was a worthy ally for successfully completing the Musou test in combination with what she had seen from her so far, she couldn't help but have her suspicions. Perhaps it was just in nature as a Sheikah: to expect the unexpected and be prepared for anything. With Shanya, though, she triggered so many warnings in Impa's head that it wasn't even funny. Her silence, her refusal to reveal her face, and even her attire gave her reason to suspect some kind of foul play.

Then again, she had the same feeling about Midna, Fi, and even Sheik before she was revealed to be Zelda. Perhaps it was indeed just an odd feeling.

Speaking of odd, the song had stopped right as Impa and Shanya had reached the stone staircase at the end of the path. They began their ascent slowly until they heard the roars of the other Moblins behind them. They sprinted upward, completely oblivious to any hazard that would present themselves what with a bigger one looming behind them.

The staircase led to a rather large clearing where a tree scaled upward, one of its branches hanging in front of the entrance of a stone temple, a stump sitting just a few feet from where Impa and Shanya had stopped. They took note of the tiny indents in the grass. Footprints. Fresh. Someone had been there recently.

And judging from the leaves rustling in the tree, that someone was still there.

"Hey, who's there?" Impa called.

No answer.

"Don't make me come up there! Show yourself!"

The leaves rustled again, and Impa could make out a pair of green eyes peeking around the leaves. Fixed on the two strangers in some form of curiosity. As Impa opened her mouth to bark out another order at the figure in the trees, Shanya tugged on her sleeve and pointed back the way they came. To Impa's frustration, the inevitable had happened: the twelve Moblins had caught up with them.

"Damn monsters…" Impa growled.

The Moblins charged and the women unsheathed their weapons, but before either of them could make a move, the Moblins were dealt with in the most peculiar way. Massive roots erupted from the round and seized the Moblins around their middles before slamming them against the walls and ground over and over again until the pig-men fell limp and lifeless, their corpses steadily dragged beneath the earth while Impa and Shanya watched in amazement and mild disturbance. The rustling came again, and as the two women turned this time, the figure hopped down from the branches above and gracefully landed in front of them.

The figure was a young girl who couldn't be more than twelve years old. Her emerald-green hair was rather short, hanging down to her neck. For clothing, she bore a slim green tunic in addition to a pair of green boots. She approached Impa and Shanya cautiously, but once she was within the proper distance and knew they weren't going to harm her, she spoke.

"You look like you could use some help."

"A green tunic…" said Impa. "Are you by chance a Kokiri?"

The girl smiled and nodded.

"Yes. My name is Saria."

"Saria? The Sage of the Forest?"

Saria blushed and scratched at the back of her head.

"Wow, that's getting around pretty fast, isn't it? It's kinda embarrassing…but yeah. That's me. Who are you?"

"I am Impa, and my companion is Shanya."

"Impa? Hmm…"

"What's the matter?"

"You don't really look like her, but it wouldn't be that farfetched…maybe a descendant? Yeah, Darunia said something about that…"

She realized what the Kokiri was talking about nearly immediately. She recalled that one of her distant ancestors was the Sage of Shadow, who was also named Impa. She wondered where this ancestor of hers was in this time, but decided it wasn't important. The mention of the legendary Goron chieftain is what interested her the most. He'd been a keen ally before, and the mission would prove much easier with his aid.

"Speaking of Darunia, you wouldn't happen to…oh, blast it all. Here come those wolves again."

Impa had indeed heard the howl of the Wolfos coming in their general direction, she and Shanya taking up their arms and preparing for whatever would come at them. To their surprise, Saria ran up to join them.

"Lady Saria, it is too dangerous for you here!" Impa half-shouted. "Please get to safety!"  
"LADY Saria?" the Kokiri youth giggled. "I must be really famous where you're from. But don't you worry about me. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

As the Wolfos came into view, Saria closed her eyes and raised her arms skyward. Out of nowhere, a heavy wind picked up, blowing everything around like it was made of paper. Impa and Shanya watched in awe as a tornado of leaves circled around their Kokiri companion, and when she spoke, her voice boomed throughout the forest in a stark contrast to the quiet little girl one would perceive her as.

"Great Deku Tree!" she called. "Your child is in dire need of your help! Wherever you may be, grant me your strength!"

The whirlwind of leaves dwindled down and began to take shape into something else, something that Saria began stroke her hands along before it emitted a brilliant green flash. Nestled in Saria's hands was a thick tree branch, a blue sash wrapped around one end with a gold-encased emerald dangling from it. With her interesting weapon now in hand, Saria looked at her two companions with a determined smirk.

"Shall we?" she asked.

Impa smirked.

"I take it back. I'm impressed. But yes. Let's."

The Wolfos lunged and while Impa and Shanya quickly sprang into action, Saria held back for a moment. She planted her weapon into the ground, and it somehow split at one tip, a thick vine stretched between the two split ends. As the Wolfos approached Saria, a large cannonball-like nut dropped into the pocket on the vine and Saria pulled back as hard as she could, practically to the point of lying down on the ground behind her. Finally, she let the massive Deku Nut fly, the vine launched it full speed at the approaching monsters and striking them with such an explosive force that it sent them flying off in different directions.

"And that's how you do it!" the Kokiri cheered.

Impa and Shanya meanwhile continued approaching the situation blade-first, completely unafraid of getting a little dirty to get out of this forest alive. Saria joined them in a matter of a few short moments, her Deku Spear packing a surprisingly hefty punch as she twirled it about and struck the Wolfos in the head, chest, stomach, and groin to drive them back. Impa was admittedly impressed, but didn't have time to compliment her youthful companion on it. Really, she was marvelled she had even gotten to see a Kokiri in her lifetime, as they were either too well-hidden for anyone to find or completely extinct in her own time. Likely (and hopefully) the former since they reportedly rarely ever left the forest for fear of what they would encounter in the outside world.

"Impa, heads up!" Saria called.

Impa spun around just in time to spot three Wolfos jump at her at once. She swung hard, slashing and downing all three only to be left defenseless as a fourth came barreling toward her. Luckily, Saria was on top of her game, raising her weapon above her head. The power of the forest continued to mystify Impa, who watched in confused wonder as the spear morphed into an enormous leaf, the gust it generated blowing away the Wolfos as it foolishly tried coming closer. She drifted upward, vulnerable to an assault from underneath for but a moment before Shanya vaulted upward, slashing the feral beasts away and ensuring Saria a safe passage to the ground.

"Thanks!" Saria called to Shanya. "Always good to see someone's got my back!"

When her hooded companion didn't answer her, Saria raised an eyebrow, accompanied by a light smirk from Impa.

"If I knew why she didn't speak, I would tell you." said the Sheikah.

"Ooooookay, then." Saria said while still giving Shanya the same confused look. "She could at least acknowledge that I complimented her. I mean, sheesh."

"In any case, where's the way out of here?! It feels like we've been running around for a bloody hour!"

"Don't worry! I know this place like the back of my hand! Try to keep up, and make sure you've got my back!"

They were off, zipping through the hollowed tunnels with the Wolfos pack in hot pursuit. To buy themselves a little more time, Shanya threw her scythe behind her, causing it to slash the monsters away before returning to its owner's hands. Saria guided them north, west, east, east again, north again. Impa could certainly give her one thing by the end of it: Saria had a lot of guts and a picture-perfect memory if she knew these woods inside and out.

Unfortunately, so did the monsters as they cornered the three in a clearing, the most notable feature being a small pond. The only other path out was swamped with dozens upon dozens of Wolfos. Even with the three of them possessing superior strength, they were still massively outnumbered and without any means of escape.

"Uh oh…" Saria muttered. "Um…anyone got any bright ideas, 'cause now would be the time."

"Unfortunately no." Impa growled. "I would try the smoke bomb again, but I think these fellows are at least somewhat smarter than the idiots we fought earlier."

"Oh, man. Then that means we're…is that rain?"

"What are you SWEET NAYRU!"

With a pond of only so much water within it, it came as a genuine shock when a near tsunami-like wave came flying out of it. Impa, Shanya, and Saria had barely enough time to dive out of the way and take refuge in the closest tunnel. The Wolfos weren't as lucky, the wave washing over them and either slamming them against the dirt-and-rock walls or dragging them into the pond where they were unable to escape. Not that the three hadn't appreciated a rescue, but Impa was certainly looking forward to calling out their rescuer for nearly drowning them.

It looked like she would get that chance as they stepped out of the tunnel as a lovely young Zora woman suddenly vaulted out of the water, landing before the three with a sort of elegance that also came across as extremely showy. Impa recognized this girl almost immediately, and suddenly the wave made much more sense.

"Pleasure to see you again, Saria." the Zora chirped.

"You too, Ruto." Saria replied once she had regained her composure.

"That's it?"

The Kokiri groaned and rolled her eyes. It was just like the Zora princess to weasel compliments out of literally everybody she met. She was a very kind person when one got done to it, but it seemed that vanity and kindness could sadly co-exist within a person.

"Thank you, Lady Ruto. Where would we be without you?" she said sarcastically, biting her lip as she did so.

"In hot water, if you'll excuse the aquatic jokes." Ruto said with a smirk.

Impa scoffed, quickly catching Ruto's attention.

"Oh, it's you." she said. "Need me and Darunia to help you take down an evil sorceress again?"

"Funnily enough, yes." said Impa. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone by the name of Veran, would you?"

"I'm afraid not."

Saria butted in the second she got a grasp of what was going on. She was curious to know how Ruto knew this Impa who clearly wasn't their Impa, but that could wait for another time.

"As glad as I am that you just saved us, what are you doing here, Ruto?"

"Oh, damn." Ruto muttered to herself. "Can't believe I forgot about that!"

"What's wrong?"

"Darunia sent me! Death Mountain's under attack by the Gerudo!"

"The Gerudo?! What in the world for?! Isn't Nabooru still with them?"

"That's what I thought, but it looks like they're taking orders from these two old bags now. I didn't see Nabooru anywhere!"

Impa clenched her fists and gritted her teeth at the mere mention of the Gerudo. There wasn't a single aspect about the desert race that she liked. Even if they were admittedly unfairly segregated (at least in the time she and Shanya came from), that didn't excuse the terrible things they had done over the years. It wasn't just her agreeing with everyone's discontent for the race, however. It was personal. Even if Nabooru as the Sage of Spirit was a good person by default, that changed nothing in Impa's mind. Nothing would.

Then Ruto continued and made the situation even direr.

"But there's more." the Zora princess said. "These weird skeleton things started pouring in not a few minutes after they got ambushed. There's some knight leading them. They're not with the Gerudo, but they're sure as hell not with us."

"Onox." said Impa.

"Huh? …wait, he's not with you, is he?!"

"Certainly not. Don't be so quick to assume such nonsense."

Ruto quickly grew a flustered scowl at Impa so casually insulting her, but shook it off. She wasn't normally one to let things, so the Sheikah ought to have considered herself extremely lucky. At the very least, Saria was far more convincing simply by acting on her innocence.

"Impa? Shanya?" Saria asked. "Could the two of you help us? We'd really appreciate it."

Impa sighed. She wanted to get this mission over with and get back home as soon as possible, but she couldn't risk leaving anyone for dead. She looked at Shanya, who wore the determined expression she'd more or less come to expect from her.

"Alright." she said. "As much as I want to get our mission over with and return home, I can't say no to something like that. Besides, I'm in the mood for a little grudge match."

"Perfect!" said Ruto, running back toward the pond. "I'll meet you there! Hurry! I don't know how much longer the Gorons are gonna be able to hold out!"

Thus, Ruto dove into the water and vanished from sight. Saria turned to her two companions with a determined frown

"There's a shortcut to Goron City a little ways away from here." she said. "Come on, I'll show you where it is…oh, and don't mind Ruto. You get used to her after a while."

"Quite honestly," scoffed Impa. "I've already had a while and she still seems like more of a snob than I would like."

* * *

**_Not really too much to say about this one, other than I have to give the Kokiri a lot of credit. They don't want anything to do with the outside world. They don't want to get involved in wars and they don't want to grow up. They just wanna eat, sleep, play with their friends, and go exploring in the woods near their home. Just like hobbits, really._**

_You might get asked what Zelda race you would be, and a lot of people would say a Goron or a Zora or even a Sheikah to make themselves sound badass. As much as I'd like to say one of those, let's face it: I would be a Kokiri. __**They're ****_u_pbeat fun-loving people that live quiet lives. Those are my kind of people.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive. Interesting name, but trust me.)


	6. Invasion of Ordon Village

CHAPTER SIX

**Invasion of Ordon Village**

Zelda and Mako had entered their gate prepared for anything, but the sight on the other sight was a surprisingly welcome one. They, Skull Kid, and Epona had appeared in a forest, a crystal clear fountain not far from where they stood. When they proceeded along the path and past a wooden gate, they found themselves descending down a hill into a small valley, and with that valley was a small but pretty little village. A river ran through the center with a few pumpkin patches dotted near its shores. Throughout the village were several surprisingly large houses, and as the four walked by, a few of the village folk looked up from the farming work. They looked surprised to see a Zora when Zora's Domain was on the other side of the country, and they looked even more surprised that someone as regal as Zelda had come to their town, but they nonetheless smiled and bid the travellers hello before going back to their work.

"Pretty nice little place, if I do say so myself." Mako said as he took another look around.

"Indeed." Zelda said with a smile.

As Skull Kid lightly tugged on her sleeve, Zelda turned to him.

"Where's Epona going?" he asked.

Zelda wondered this too as the mare stepped away from them, but as she looked where Epona was going, she grew evermore curious. Crouched in the nearby flowers was a very familiar figure: a young girl garbed in a frilly butterfly-themed dress, looking about ten years of age and having her blonde hair tied back in pigtails. She paid no attention to Epona as the mare approached, opting instead to search around in the grass for whatever it was she was looking for. It wasn't until Epona whinnied when she was a foot or so away that the girl finally looked up. The smile on the girl's face was perhaps one of the most adorable things Zelda and Mako had ever seen, and her cheery voice only added to this factor.

"Why, hello, Miss Horse!" she chirped as she stood up to pat Epona's snout.

Epona sputtered and gently nudged the girl, getting a soft laugh out of her as the mare's three companions approached the girl. Skull Kid in particular drew rather close to her, a little shy as anyone like him would be. The warm smile that the girl gave him when she saw him didn't help matters much, but he was at the very least able to answer her.

"Oh, my!" she said. "What a lovely mask!"

"Thanks!" Skull Kid said happily. "What's in your basket?"

The girl giggled and reached into the basket hanging from her arm, producing a small jar and holding it out for Skull Kid to get a good look. He gently took it and peered through the glass. Within the jar was a sizable mound of dirt with a few twigs and leaves jutting out. Flitting to and fro on the dirt was a small colony of ants, and nestled on one leaf was a tiny caterpillar picking parts of the leaf off and eating them.

"You collect bugs? That's so cool!"

"Thank you! …oh, pardon me. Where are my manners? I've forgotten to introduce myself!"

The girl spun in a circle on her heel and dipped into a tiny curtsey, all with that same adorable smile accompanying her rosy cheeks.

"You hold an audience with the princess of the insect kingdom! Agitha is my name!"

"Wait a moment." said Zelda. "I remember you! You fought alongside us against Cia!"

"Pardon? …oh, yes! I remember now!"

With that said, Agitha came rushing up to Zelda and curtseyed again. From one princess to another, it seemed, even if Agitha was only under the impression that she was a princess. Regardless of that, Zelda let out a soft chuckle and nodded her head in respect.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Princess Zelda!" said Agitha.

"You as well, Princess Agitha." said Zelda. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, I sent out invitations to many high-class bugs so they could come to my castle for a royal ball. It seems they got lost along the way, though."

"Well, that's not good. What bugs were they exactly?"

Agitha tapped her cheek for a moment as she pondered, Skull Kid tilting his head in curiosity as she did so.

"Well," she started. "I believe there were ants, mantises, snails…one of each gender, of course."

"What about spiders?" Skull Kid asked.

He didn't realize how ridiculous that question sounded to Agitha until she scowled and drew away from him like he was about to set off a bomb.

"Don't be ridiculous! Spiders have no place around me or in my castle! Carnivorous savages, the lot of them!"

Ignoring the fact that a lot of insects also eat other insects, Mako smirked.

"There's something we share in common. I could do without spiders putting webs all over the place for me to run into…" (here he shuddered) "Especially stinkin' Skulltulas."

"I know, right?!" Agitha cheered. "Finally someone who doesn't argue that webs are 'the strongest of natural fibers" like it actually means something."

"Uh-huh…anyway, I'm Mako. Our equine friend who introduced herself to you is Epona."

Epona sputtered again, getting another laugh out of Agitha who gently scratched behind her ears.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir Mako! And you as well, Lady Epona!" Agitha said cheerily before she turned to Skull Kid. "And what's your name, young page?"

"Page?" Skull Kid replied, scratching the back of his head. "I'm Skull Kid. I don't know anything about any 'page'? What even is a page?"

"A young knight. I'm calling you a page because you look like a young knight, and it's always nice for knights to have something to…"

"Girls talk too much."

Agitha raised her eyebrow, not sure whether to be offended or to laugh at Skull Kid's brash comment (Mako and Zelda responding with the latter). She did, however, know an obvious villain when she heard one, and the sickly cackling immediately clued her in to the alignment of the violet-robed creature that suddenly popped into view.

"Already looking to spoil the fun, eh, princess?" Wizzro snickered.

"Oh, hush up, you little cretin!" Zelda growled, drawing her rapier and pointing it at the sorcerer. "You have no business here!"

"Don't I? This is a quaint little town. It would really be a shame if something happened to it…well, a shame for you. Me, on the other hand? I'd be happy to raze it to the ground!"

Mako and Zelda swung at Wizzro simultaneously, Wizzro himself disappearing in a puff of purple smoke and leaving a round of his vile laughter in its wake. As he vanished, the warriors and villagers heard loud shrieks from a fair distance away as a frantic man came charging down the hill screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Everybody get inside!" he shouted. "There's monsters on the way! GET INSIDE NOW!"

"And that's our cue." said Zelda, tightening her grip on her sword as she saw the first of the undead monsters start to come up over the hill.

The villagers rightfully fled, running into their homes and locking the doors praying they'd live to see the nightfall. As Mako and Zelda held their blades at the ready and Skull Kid's mask started to glow, Agitha skipped forward.

"Ooo, zombies!" she giggled. "Have they come for a ball? I'm sure we can find some lovely maidens for them."

"Uhhh…what?" said Mako. "Don't you notice the swords and the roaring and the bloody bandages and…well, the fact that they're zombies!"

"I noticed. The undead need love, too!"

"Riiiiiight…anyway, kid, get inside before you get hurt!"

In a strangely amusing show of defiance, Agitha put one hand on her hip and pointed at Mako like a mother scolding her child.

"Don't forget you are in the presence of royalty, mister! Don't take that tone with me!"

"I think what she means to say is that she's actually a fairly competent fighter, Mako." said Zelda, though smiling at Agitha's display. "Trust me, I've seen it. We can count on her."

Mako shot the princess a look basically asking whether or not she'd sniffing fairy dust. It wasn't just because Agitha didn't appear to have a weapon on her, but because of her age. He just couldn't accept the idea of a ten-year old girl taking on hordes of the undead trying to rip her face off. But he didn't get this far into his knighthood from doubting people's abilities.

"Alright," he finally said. "You're sure you can handle these guys? And I don't mean like a little sure. Are you a hundred percent positive you can handle them?"

"Mm-hm!" Agitha chirped. "The little bugs will be glad to help me!"

"Awesome."

The various undead soliders didn't even pay any attention to their environment. The moment they saw Zelda, they charged toward her and her small ensemble of warriors. Even if it was just the five of them, Zelda showed no fear. She mounted Epona and held her sword skyward.

"Now, everyone!" she shouted. "To arms!"

Mako led the charge, beheading the closest Stalfos, kicking its head away like a ball, and bowling over a good deal of the smaller monsters. A fury of slashes mowed down a good number of the beasts before him, and once Skull Kid brought a very interesting talent into the fray, it got even more chaotic.

The imp lifted part of his mask up as he reached into his pocket. Not enough for anyone to see his face, but enough that he was able to raise the horn he produced to his unseen mouth and blow hard. As soon as the sound rang out, five scarecrow-like marionettes with red eyes and creepy smiles dropped down from seemingly nowhere and formed a perfect shield around their master.

"Let's get 'em!" Skull Kid shouted.

Moving in perfect synchronization with their master, the marionettes glided along the ground, their arms outstretched and their fingers surprisingly sharp. When the masked puppet master began swinging his arms, they mimicked his every move and cut down all before them. Skull Kid thrust his hands forward, the marionettes bowling over all the undead creatures in their path as they charged, and when Skull Kid finally decided to cap off his impressive display and snap his fingers, the marionettes glowed orange. Then red. Then white before finally exploding and launching anything caught in the blast radius.

"Well, we certainly know that YOU can fight, buddy." said Mako, still trying to grasp A: where the marionettes had come from, and B: why they had exploded. "How about you, Agitha? I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but you've really gotta start showing off some proper fighting skills."

Agitha's response to him (frowning and blowing a raspberry at her Zora companion ) didn't impress him, but her response to the approaching enemies ready to run her through certainly did. As they approached, Agitha reached into her basket for a moment before flinging her arm forward. Just like that, a swarm of golden butterflies surged outward and slammed into the undead beasts, bowling them over as Agitha dashed toward the nearest Stalfos. As the skeleton raised its sword, Agitha frowned at it as though that would stop it.

"How rude!" she exclaimed.

It seemed she had more upper body strength than Mako gave her credit for demonstrated when she slapped the Stalfos hard across the face. It reeled backward, teetering about for a few moments before it fell over and clattered into a mess of bones on the ground. As dozens upon dozens of the monsters continued to approach her, she reached into her basket again and produced another oddity: a stag beetle. She placed it on the ground before her, a strange glowing circle enclosing the armoured insect as Agitha began muttering an incantation under her breath. The circle glowed brighter as the monsters drew closer, and once they were within range, she let loose.

"Now squish 'em!" she called.

With a bright flash of light, the beetle grew to the size of an adult Dodongo and charged forward. It bowled over every monster it came across, reaching into the nearby river with its mandibles and producing a large boulder which it then threw at the closest mob of monsters. As another mob closed in around Agitha, the beetle leapt high into the air, spreading the wings under its shell and surging downward with such a force that the shockwave it generated was enough to launch everything in its path. Agitha applauded her giant insect friend, swiftly catching it as it shrank back to its normal size.

"Well done, Sir Beetle!" the "princess" giggled. "Well done indeed!"

"Agitha, head sup!" Skull Kid shouted.

Agitha turned just in time to see a Stalfos raising its blade over her. As she was about to try and strafe out of the way, Zelda's rapier pierced the undead monster's skull and bowled it over.

"Keep your wits about you, Agitha!" Zelda called. "These beasts have no understanding of mercy!

"Okay…" Agitha said before squinting her eyes at the next approaching mob. "What the heck are those things?"

The creatures in question were tall, lanky, and mummified creatures quickly approaching as they dragged their massive blades behind them. Their red eyes locked onto their targets, but with their rotting mouths hung open and their entire bodies slouching over as they moved, it diminished their overall threat in the eyes of Mako and Skull Kid. Zelda knew better, however.

"ReDeads!" she called back. "Keep an eye out for when they roar! Those shockwaves will freeze you on the spot!"

As if on cue, the closest ReDead opened its mouth wider at let out a groggy howl aimed at Mako. The pale shockwave shooting from the beast's mouth reeked and felt cold as the young Zora just barely dodged it, but he nonetheless cleared it in time to toss one of his knives straight into the ReDead's skull. Like a moth to a flame, Mako bolted toward his knife and withdrew it.

"Sorry about that." he mocked. "You don't mind if I take this back, do you?"

The ReDead let out an unnerving moan as it fell backward and didn't move.

"Yeah, I didn't think so."

Another ReDead lazily slashed at Agitha, who simply stepped out of the way and giggled every single time.

"Come on, Mr. Zombie!" she laughed. "You have to try harder than that!"

The ReDead growled and lunged at her with its stiff arms, again missing when she stepped out of the way and continued taunting it. At last, it grew fed up and unleashed its paralyzing roar. With this being the only reasonably quick attack it had in addition to Agitha not expecting it, she had no time to get out of the way before she was frozen in place. An unnatural cold ran through her body as the vapour touched her tender skin, and when her muscles seized up and she found she couldn't move her arms and legs, she looked on in horror as the ReDead began raising its blade.

Luckily, one of the insect princess's comrades sprang to the rescue, pushing her out of the way just as her attacker swung its blade down at her.

"Are you okay?" Skull Kid asked after releasing a blast that sent the ReDead flying away, the reaction he got being the complete opposite of what he expected.

"Oh, no, my dress is filthy now!" Agitha whined as she spotted a tiny speck of dirt smearing the dress's hem and looked at Skull Kid like he was the worst person in the world. "And it's all your fault! Who do you think you are, pushing a princess aside like that?!"

"Uh, I think I'm the guy that just saved your life? I think the words you're looking for are 'thank you'?"

"Quit fooling around over there, you two!" Mako shouted. "We're not done yet!"

Skull Kid, though still irritated at Agitha's childish response to her rescue, hauled her to her feet and brushed the light bit of dirt off of her. Without another word, he turned and charged toward his undead foes once more, completely unaware that Agitha was looking at him with a mixture of gratitude for rescuing her, resentment for getting her dirty (completely failing to see the irony caused by her pastime), and something little girls tend to feel toward boys who are nice to them…

…hey, I think it's been well-established that Agitha's just plain weird, so don't give me that look!

As Zelda slashed away at the ReDeads and Stalfos from atop Epona's back, she failed to notice Wizzro suddenly rematerialize a short distance from her with the same vile grin on his face that just made everyone want to bash his skull in (if he had one, that is). He raised his hand toward the clueless princess, a violet aura starting to form in his palm until he heard the sound of a blade being drawn behind him.

"Don't even think about it, freak." Mako growled.

Wizzro's response was to fire a mighty pulse from his body, sending Mako sliding back enough to give him some space. Mako lunged at the dark wizard again, strafing out of the way of the spheres Wizzro tossed at him. The young Zora's smirk as he vaulted away from every attack at lightning speed was enough to irritate Wizzro out of sparing him, at last culminating in generate a massive hand from his chest.

"You wanna play rough, Zora?!" Wizzro shouted.

"I'm the king of playing rough, mac!" Mako laughed as he dodged the massive hand making a grab at him.

"Then you're about to be dethroned!"

"Y'know, I heard that you were real hammy, but that's just ridiculous."

It seemed it didn't matter. Mako once again let his cockiness get the better of him and tried to make a slash at Wizzro, only to be seized by the massive hand and slammed against the ground numerous times almost to the point of a concussion. The dark wizard laughed at his young opponent's suffering before throwing him away like a piece of garbage. As Mako hit the ground, he let out one small yelp of pain, unable to will himself to his feet against his dizziness. The cackling Wizzro began to home in on his target as a blade materialized into his hand.

"Not so amusing now, is it?" he cackled.

Wizzro had no intentions of showing mercy to the incapacitated Zora, but thankfully the young lad that suddenly appeared from nowhere had no intentions of showing mercy to Wizzro. A single slash with the blade that was far too large for him was all it took for Wizzro to reel backward in pain and glare at the boy in fury.

"Get out of the way, kid!" he growled. "You have to wait your turn like everybody else!"

The blonde-haired youth tensed the grip on his blade and furrowed his brow. He wouldn't let this monster intimidate him. He'd learned enough from the greatest men he knew to know this thing didn't deserve that kind of satisfaction.

"I'm not going anywhere until you get out of this village!" the boy shouted.  
"Hmph. Big words from a little human. Who do you think you are? A knight?"

"My name is Colin, and I don't need to be a knight to take you down."

"Certainly not. You also don't need to be an adult for me to skin you alive, you little brat!"

Wizzro slashed at Colin, the surprisingly nimble youth rolling out of the way and countering with a short series of stabs. The young boy blocked, countered, and dodged whenever it was necessary, and after he landed a few successful hits and given Mako enough time to push himself to his feet and shake off the dizziness. As Wizzro lunged too fast for Colin to block, the young Zora blocked the blow and repulsed the dark wizard just in time, giving his rescuer a warm smile.

"Thanks, buddy." he said. "I owe you one. Whattaya say we show this punk how we do things downtown?"

"Downtown?" Colin asked with a raised eyebrow. "What the heck does that mean?"

"Never mind. Let's just kick his ass!"

Wizzro growled. He had expected some resistance from these people, but did they have to be so obnoxious about it? He hated humans and Zoras enough without them rubbing humiliation in his face.

"Two against one?" he asked. "That hardly seems fair. Oh, boys?!"

With a snap of his fingers, Wizzro summoned another massive legion of Stalfos and ReDeads, all lunging at Colin and Mako and all getting mowed down in their own special way. Whether it was by Mako's quick spin attack or Colin's slow yet strong single swings, the undead soldiers fell in droves at their feet. Wizzro suddenly jumped back into the fray, and with a loud cackle, he unleashed a massive beam of energy. As the beam approached its intended targets, however, a certain little imp glided in and caught in with one hand.

"You stupid little…" Wizzro growled.

He pushed harder, Skull Kid still effortlessly holding the beam back before finally redirecting it. The energy slammed into Wizzro and knocked enough energy out of him to force him to drift back down to the ground, and that was when Epona trampled toward him. It seemed it didn't matter what time or world one was in: getting kicked in the face by a horse was still one of the most painful things that could happen in a big fight.

"Not gonna lie, pal." Mako said, stifling a massive round of laughter when Wizzro went sprawling to the ground. "I kinda feel bad for ya 'cause that looked like it hurt!"

"Gee, you think?" Wizzro growled. "Ah, blast it all."

With the five warriors preoccupied with the steadily dwindling numbers of the undead, Wizzro demonstrated his cowardice and began fleeing. As Colin brought down another ReDead with a mighty stab, he spotted Wizzro out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't get away. Not after what he had tried to do here.

"Stop!" he shouted.

"Kid, hold up!" Mako called after him.

Too late. Colin had already broken into a sprint and had just about cleared the distance between him and his target when…

"Where did he…oh, crap!"

Wizzro had vanished just when Colin had raised his sword, and his place was a ring of the undead surrounding the helpless boy. He held his blade firm, ready to fight to the death if that was what it took. As the first undead monster raised its blade, however, something even stranger happened. It started as a soft ringing in the air, a shadow drawing Colin's attention skyward. High above him was a strange black-and-red portal, bits of black matter drifting down from it and settling into several piles on the ground.

The piles of matter suddenly took shape, revealing dozens upon dozens of Darknuts. Colin feared additional adversity, but breathed a sigh of relief when the knights attacked the beasts surrounding him. With their armour as thick as could be, the ReDeads and Stalfos had no hope of defeating them and fell to their blades in a matter of moments, as did the remaining undead forces pouring in from the other side of the valley.

Then Colin spotted their leader nearby, gazing around the battlefield with a somewhat disinterested look. Witnessing the monsters fall before her small yet effective army forced a smirk onto her violet lips.

"Good work, boys. Wouldn't expect any less from you."

She paid no attention to Colin until he pointed his blade at her. As expected from someone like her, she found it more amusing than anything else. She was sure he was a good kid when it really came down to it, but there was no way she could take him seriously when he could barely hold his sword right.

Or when he made an attempt to threaten her and came off as more adorable than scary.

"Demon! You're here to ransack our home, too?!" he yelled.

In truth, he was trying his absolute best not to look scared out of his wits. Wizzro was one thing what with him being no more than a short mass of a cloak, but this woman literally towered over him, staring down at him with her leering yellow-and-red eyes and instantly making him regret those harsh words. Her sly smile didn't help matters much, regardless of her being probably one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen in his life.

"How cute." she chirped. "And that's not sarcasm, mind you."

Colin gritted his teeth and clenched his grip on his sword before charging headlong at her. The woman chuckled to herself before gently swaying her hand. All of a sudden, it felt like Colin had just slammed into a brick wall, his sword skittering away in an instant. Even know that he was dazed and unarmed, he still tried to look tough as he raised his fist. The woman simply smirked.

"You know, that really isn't any way treat your rescuer." she said. "Don't I get a thank you?

She didn't. Nothing but a fiery glare as Colin tried to keep his cool. She laughed before gracefully stepping forward, bending over and gently stroking Colin's chin with her fingers. Colin didn't know why he didn't move away, but maybe it had something to do with the two Darknuts standing behind him with their blades still drawn.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" the woman asked.

"Colin." Colin said defiantly, just barely hiding the intimidation welling up in him.

"Colin, I'd like you to look into my eyes for a second. Tell me. What do you see?"

"…I…I don't…what do you…"

"Aww, what's wrong? Am I scaring you?"

Colin didn't need to answer when the woman heard the distinct sound of a sword leaving its sheath. She nonchalantly looked over and leered at the angry man pointing his blade under her chin. She at first wondered how this man even had it in him to try and stand up to someone such as her, but she was able to put two-and-two together fairly quickly, particularly when Rusl spoke.

"Back away from my son right now, witch."

The woman smirked at him. She had been wondering where the boy's father had been this whole time, and she definitely admired his courage and love for his son. Still, that didn't change the fact that she was who she was.

"Dare I ask where you were this whole time while your son was fighting undead monsters out here?"

"He is a brave boy." Rusl said, never once taking his eyes off her. "He could have very well killed you."

"Really, now? Could have fooled me."

Before things could get any worse, a regal voice called the woman's name.

"Princess Midna."

Midna turned her attention to the approaching Zelda and her company, a wave of familiarity washing over her in an instant.

"Princess Zelda!" she chirped in an oddly haughty tone. "How good to see you again. I, uh, hope you don't mind my cavalry here."

"Certainly not. Thank you for your assistance. We weren't expecting Wizzro to bring such an army with him to a small village like this."

"By now, that shouldn't surprise you. Anyhow, back for another witch hunt?"

"Actually, no. We…"

Before Zelda could say anything more, one of the Darknuts tapped Midna on the shoulder.

"Forgive my intrusion, my queen." he said. "But we should not waste any more time here. We cannot risk him getting beyond our vision."

"Yes, I know."

Midna turned to Zelda and her company and gave a quick nod.

"Sorry I can't chat. I have a little business to attend to elsewhere. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't interfere. He seems more…agitated this time."

"He?" Zelda asked. "…Zant?"

"Hit the nail right on the head. Now excuse me. I gotta go bury the nail alive."

Without another word, Midna turned and led her army away and out of the valley, leaving the townspeople to steadily come out of their homes and breathe a collective sigh of relief. Colin meanwhile took the time to try and calm down after such a close encounter the femme fatale of a princess. Rusl showed just as much concern as a good father would, kneeling in front of his son and checking him all over for injuries.

"What in the world were you thinking, Colin?!" he said in a panic-stricken tone. "You could have gotten yourself hurt out there!"

"I know, but…" Colin started. "I had to help."

Zelda smiled and placed a soft kiss on the young boy's cheek. He promptly flushed bright red.

"And we are eternally grateful for your help, Colin." the princess said. "But your father is right. What you did was brave but very dangerous."

"Man, forget that." Mako scoffed. "You're tellin' me THAT was Midna? The 'Twilight Princess' I've heard so much about?"

"Yes. And?"

"…well, she's a beauty, I'll give her that much, but really? She doesn't seriously expect to get a boyfriend acting like that, does she?"

If they could see Skull Kid's face, they would see that he had raised an eyebrow and had the thought to say something that would crash and burn Mako in an instant, but Rusl spoke first.

"In any case, welcome to Ordon Village, Princess Zelda." he said with a small bow. "My name is Rusl."

"Well met, Rusl." said Zelda. "I'm afraid we can't stay, though. My comrades and I are seeking the Palace of Twilight…and unfortunately, our means to entering the palace seems to want us to stay far away."

"I see. Nonetheless, you don't really have a choice in the matter by the sound of it. By the looks of it, she should be heading for Kakariko."

"Thank you. It might take some time getting there, though. This Hyrule is much different from our own."

"Your own?"

Mako and Zelda found it rather cute when Agitha tried her best to explain it to them, rambling on for a few minutes and trying to tell Rusl and Colin about the adventure she had been on with Zelda and the rest of her army. However, it seemed she had only succeeded in confusing them even more. Once Rusl had finally heard enough, he stepped in.

"Look, Kakariko is a really long ways away from here and you may not realize but you're all tired from that big fight. Why don't you all stay here in Ordon for the night and we'll take you there in the morning?"

"Are you sure that's okay?" Mako asked. "We're gonna get in some pretty nasty scrapes on the way to the Palace of Twilight."

"No, no, it's alright. I have to head to Kakariko to drop something off for a friend of mine, anyway. Colin and I will be glad to take you there."

Zelda smiled and nodded.

"Wonderful. Agitha, would you like to come with us as well?"

As though Zelda even needed to ask.

"Of course! I'll need a royal cavalry on the way back to my castle, and it's always great to travel with a bunch of friends! I'd be glad to help you in the meantime!"

"Excellent." said Rusl with a smile. "While you're here, I'd appreciate it if you could try to explain your story a little better."

"But I just explained it!"

Somehow they all got the feeling that this was going to be a long night.

* * *

_**Hoo, boy, sorry this one took so long. School's kinda starting to take its toll on me, but I'll get through it.**_

_**You know how I said last chapter that I would be a Kokiri if I were any race in the Zelda series? Well, time for another confession: as weird as she is, I'd love to have Agitha as a little sister. I realize this might make me lose a few man points, but I don't really care. She's just so damn adorable!**_

_**Another confession relating to the actual games: Twilight Princess is not only my favorite Zelda game. It's my favorite game of all time. Yeah, there's some parts about that kinda suck. The graphics are pretty dated (though to be fair, the game is almost ten years old now, so of course they are), the Lakebed Temple and the City in the Sky wound up getting me stuck more than a few times, Midna can be a bit annoying all though she's still a very likable character, and as cool as he is in the game, Ganondorf is kinda phoned in. Regardless of that, ****unless Zelda for Wii U does something to top it (which it looks like it very well might), Twilight Princess will likely stay at the top of my list for a pretty long time to come.**_

**_And yes. I would like a Twilight Princess HD provided they added some new stuff to it. _****_Anyhow, enough of the sentimental stuff. Next chapter, we make for Skyloft!_**

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)


	7. Liberation of Skyloft

CHAPTER SEVEN  
**Liberation of Skyloft**

Link hadn't gotten over how beautiful the floating town of Skyloft was the last time he had seen it. It was a pure spectacle of sights and sounds (mostly the sounds of swords clashing since this also happened to be one of many spots where he had fought the dragon knight Volga) complete with a beautiful view of the sky and clouds. He was also very fascinated with the massive birds he had seen, which Zelda had told him were called Loftwings. Though it was childish of him, he wondered since then what it would be like to ride on one of them.

As one would expect, as Link arrived in this floating utopia with Lana at his side, he was very pleased to it again in all its majesty. Lana seemed just as ecstatic, smiling at everything from the clouds above to the pearly-white statue of Hylia with a child-like wonder.

"It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah." said Link with a smile of his own. "I could hardly believe it myself when I came here."

"Hey, do you think we should try riding a Loftwing while we're here?"

She flushed bright red when she spotted Link stifling a laugh.

"S-sorry. That was a stupid question."

"No, no, it's actually a pretty good idea. I mean, we're going to have to if we want to get to the Thunderhead faster…or in one piece by the looks of it."

He could already see it from here. A massive dome of clouds with visible lightning flashing from within it. Getting to it was only half the battle, though. There was sure to be some sort of entrance, but it was sealed and entirely impenetrable without the use of the Goddess Harp. Link had a vague idea of where it would be, but couldn't make any promises. By the looks of it, they had all the time in the world to look for it with Skyloft's citizens just going about their days without a care in the world.

"So where do you reckon we should start?" Lana asked.

"The first thing we should do is find Fi. No one knows this era better than she does."

"Well, yeah, but…I don't know. Her not showing any emotion kinda freaks me out."

Link shrugged. A fair judgment on Lana's part. Fi was, however, the spirit of the Goddess Sword, a predecessor to the Master Sword. If that didn't make her a worthwhile ally, nothing did.

"In any case," he said. "She should be inside the Goddess Statue."

"Okay. Let's get to it, then."

They lightly jogged down the brick path, crossing the wooden bridge and keeping their eyes fixed on the massive statue of Hylia smiling down at the town before it. They skidded to a halt when they spotted a small brown-and-white creature sleeping peacefully a few feet away from them. As they stopped, the sound was enough for the creature's large ears to twitch and cause it to groggily sit up. It shook the sleep from its eyes before turning to Link and Lana, a smile-like expression forming on its face before it scampered up to them. As it stared up at them with its wide and curious eyes, it mewed and pawed at their feet. In response, Lana smiled brightly and knelt down to pet it.

"Aww, where'd you come from, little guy?" she asked.

The Remlit mewed again, this time winning over Link who bent down and scratched under its chin. It closed its eyes and purred as Link's fingers soothed it, and in an adorable show of affection, it stood on its hind legs and planted its front paws on Link's knees before it nudged its nose against his cheek. He and Lana shared a laugh and accidentally both reached for the same spot on the Remlit's head, their hands brushing together and forcing the two to recoil their arms. Lana looked away from Link slightly and flushed bright red, leaving the green-clad knight to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

Lana's small display of embarrassment had successfully made the situation awkward, and it transcended into flat-out ruined when Link heard Veran begin to laugh from behind them.

"Aw, how sweet." she chuckled. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Without a word, Link and Lana stood up and spun around to face her with their weapons at the ready. The Remlit ran off terrified while Veran seemed content staring them down with that same repulsive smirk she had worn during the ambush on Hyrule Castle. The same smirk that made Link want to stab her right through her foul heart, and he wasn't one for such violent thoughts.

"You have no business here, witch." Link growled. "Leave now."

"Oh, I'll be glad to leave, but don't you think I'm owed a little compensation for your ruining my little game back in your own time?"

Link let his rage get the better of him and took a flying leap at Veran with his blade held high. She vanished before he landed, reappearing just behind him and casting a bolt of darkness that Lana quickly reflected. The blue-haired sorceress stood between Veran and Link, glaring at the former with her eyes swimming with pure determination. Veran simply laughed.

"What's this? A little girlfriend? Or perhaps another one of the hero's adorable underlings?"

"Never mind me." Lana said sternly. "What are YOU doing here?"

"Hey, you'd go to some pretty extreme lengths to see your destined partner, too."

Veran laughed again when Link and Lana both looked at her like she was out of her mind (a tad redundant if you were to ask the right person).

"Oh, come on, you don't honestly believe I'd hook up with a worthless skin bag like him, do you? But enough fooling around, my dears."

She snapped her fingers, swarms of Bokoblins generating all around her in an instant. Link and Lana could already see Moblins running after the townspeople and roaring with delight. Link's rage peaked and he let out a mighty war cry before lunging at Veran again, who rolled her eyes.

"Really, love? Aren't people like you supposed to at least TRY to learn from your mistakes?"

She effortlessly seized Link's blade in one hand and repulsed him, giving her enough time to vanish yet again when the hero recovered and made a stab at her.

"Damn it, where did she go now?!" he shouted.

"Never mind her now!" Lana called. "We've gotta deal with these monsters before somebody gets hurt!"

"Right!"

They didn't waste another moment and sprang into action, Link furiously slashing at the hordes of Bokoblins while Lana cast all manner of projectiles from fireballs to lightning bolts to pieces of the ground. As they pushed further through the mobs, they heard mighty calls above them, and they turned their attention skyward to see the very thing they had been hoping to see: the majestic Loftwings surging downward with their riders ready for battle. As they did, a dozen winged reptilian creatures came flying at them with their blades and shields raised. Link drew his bow and fired as fast as he could, Lana keeping him covered as the ground enemies tried to close in on him. As the Aeralfos fell from the sky as Link's arrows struck them, the Skyloft knights looked down from their mounts and gave the young hero a grateful salute before they went back to work.

"Link, look out!" Lana cried.

Too late. A passing Aeralfos seized the young hero by the neck and hauled him high into the air. The sudden shock forced Link to drop his sword, leaving him to slam his shield against his reptilian captor as hard as he could. It did nothing to help his situation, and neither did the Bokoblins and Moblins surrounding Lana and preventing her from getting a clear shot. What DID help him was…

…well, he wasn't even sure. He just saw the young red-haired man suddenly fall from the sky, yelling at the top of his lungs as he grappled the Aeralfos and forced it to drop its captive. Link rolled as he hit the ground, quickly reclaiming his sword and slashing the two Bokoblins that had wandered too close before he turned his attention back to his saviour and captor wrestling each other in mid-air. The former finally gained the upper hand and applied all his weight, bringing the reptilian monster down with him and crushing it under him. Link and Lana were grateful that he had risked himself to help them, but neither of them could stop themselves from raising an eyebrow at both his method of doing so and (oddly enough) his pompadour. It was Link's opinion that one could probably impale themselves on it.

"Whew! Some ride!" the young man laughed. "Ah, well. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. You two okay?"

"Um…who are you?!" Lana said with surprise. "Not that I'm not thankful. I am, but..."

As much as she didn't like to pass judgment on people she didn't even know, Lana couldn't help but look at this man and instantly think "schmuck". He wasn't very good-looking (especially when compared to her blonde-haired companion), his hair looked pretty dumb, and now that the two had made eye contact, he flushed bright red and…was that steam coming out of his nose?! What in the world was with this guy?!

Nevertheless, the young man shook it off and shot Lana and her green-clad accomplice a cocky grin and a thumbs-up.

"Groose is the name, and pounding these suckers into the ground is my game! Ain't none of these guys getting away with trying to wreck my town!"

"Awesome." said Link. "So do you actually have a weapon? We can't have you running around with just your fists fighting these things."

It was then that Link noticed the large wooden tube attached to Groose's back, a groove acting as a shoulder mount on one end and some sort of trigger on the other. Groose smirked at it and raised it into position, keeping it in place on his shoulder while his right hand held the trigger tight.

"You kiddin'?" he said. "I took down a big black monster with a weapon I built myself! I actually helped some big hero save the world from an ancient demon, thank you very much…said big hero looking a lot like you as a matter of fact."

Link rolled his eyes. It was just as he had thought. This was indeed THE Groose. The same Groose that had helped an ancestor of his reveal the surface world to the people of Skyloft. The same Groose that had indeed helped the hero to defeat Ghirahim and his accursed master. He was remembered as a hero in his own right, but he was also sadly remembered as a real show-off who quite frankly only took part in the quest because he thought it would win him praise from that generation's Zelda. And it did, but not to the extent he was hoping. Link had always thought that Groose was judged unfairly in modern times, but now he could see why people would make such claims.

"But anyway," the red-haired crusader continued. "I ain't no pushover, so don't you go counting me out."

"Wait, so you built that?" Lana asked.

"Yep! I give you the Groosenator 2.0: the Mobile Edition!"

"What is it, a gun?"

"Oh, just you watch. This bad boy's gonna rock your world, baby."

"…well, you learn something new every day. For example, I learned I don't like being called 'baby'…EVER."

There was no time for Groose to get irritated or for Lana to make another snarky comment as Link spotted the next wave of Bokoblins charging for them, a small flock of Aeralfos not far behind.

"Pay attention, you two!" the young Hylian warrior barked. "The fight's not over yet!"

"Alright!" Groose cheered. "Let's send these losers packin'!"

The three dashed toward the monster army side-by-side, though Link and Lana pulled back just slightly so they could see what Groose was capable of with his massive weapon. To their surprise, he was extremely capable. Though it was clearly a gun, the Groosenator worked just as well as a melee weapon, the handle the trigger protruded from letting Groose get a perfect grip and swing it almost like a two-handed sword. In fact, something about the barbaric yet powerful way he slammed his weapon against the horde and set the little pig monsters flying reminded Link a lot of Impa.

Of course, when it came time to fire, the Groosenator didn't cease to impress as Groose swung it back into firing position and pulled the trigger. With that, a bomb flew from the barrel and detonated when it made contact with its Aeralfos target, incapacitating it and sending it falling off the side of the floating island. Groose sensed Link and Lana looking at him with a strange kind of awe, shooting them a cocky smirk.

"Hey, I ain't gonna hog all the glory!" he called to them. "You two come get some action, too!"

As Groose suggested, Link and Lana jumped back into the fray. Now with three mighty heroes as their opposition, the Bokoblins started to seriously consider fleeing, but knew that their mistress's wrath would be far worse than anything. So they foolishly tried to put up a fight, only to fall, fail, and die trying against Link's sword, Lana's spells, and Groose's bombs. A mighty spin attack cleared enough of the monsters out for Lana to catch sight of Veran floating a fair distance away, generating more monsters anytime one of them fell. In addition, she focused on their current goal, noticing that Link was the closest one to breaking through the mob.

Even if superior numbers meant nothing what with how strong the three of them were, they would eventually buckle under this kind of pressure. They needed reinforcements, and there was one such reinforcement waiting for them.

"Link!" Lana shouted. "We won't be able to get anything done without Fi! Go to the Goddess Statue and find her! We'll hold off the monsters!"

"Got it!" Link called. "…but y'know, I always thought that was sketchy. Didn't the Goddess Statue fall to the surface and seal Demise away? Why is it here in one piece again?"

"It did." answered Groose. "But the whole city just kinda seemed incomplete without it, so we built a new one."

"Ah, I see. Anyhow, you sure you two can manage on your own for a while?"

Groose shot Link a thumbs-up and a bright toothy smile, Lana responding by lowering her face into her palm. She got that she had to stick with this guy if she and Link wanted to get anything done, but he was already starting to really bother, and that was besides the fact that he kept awkwardly flirting with her. From someone like Link, she would have found that rather charming, but from someone as goofy-looking Groose, it was just plain uncomfortable.

"Don't worry about a thing!" Groose called. "Anyone who messes with us ain't gonna last long! Isn't that right, gorgeous?"

"Groose, you need to NOT do that, okay?" Lana groaned in disgust. "Please. You're starting to remind me of Ghirahim."

"Sorry. You know you've dun goofed when someone compares you to that guy…"

Leaving the two to fend for themselves, Link broke into a sprint toward the Goddess Statue, taking a flying leap over a sharp drop-off to cut his trip a little short. From her mid-air perch, Veran eyed the young hero making his way toward her plan's complete buzzkill and scowled.

"No. No, no, no, Link. That's not how this works."

She snapped her fingers, a series of Moblins generating in Link's path. He frowned, but nonetheless took up his sword and shield and defended himself, ducking under the closest spear and stabbing its wielder through the stomach. He brought his knee up and slammed it into the groin of the next pig-monster before elbowing a third attempting a sneak attack and unleashing a swift flurry of slashes on a fourth.

The young hero broke through the mob after much effort only for another to generate in its place. Before he could waste any more time, arrows rained down from the sky. Link turned his attention upward and eyed the Skyloft knights he had assisted before, a few of whom saluted him.

"For earlier!" one of them called. "Now we're even, friend!"

Link smiled and returned the salute before breaking into a run yet again, this time closing the distance between himself and the Goddess Statue. He wheeled around behind it, finding nothing more than a brick wall. As he approached it, however, a sizable entrance appeared in the center as if the statue were responding to his presence, and within the massive chamber inside of the statue laid a magnificent pedestal. Firmly fixed within the pedestal was a short yet beautiful sword, a bright-blue jewel fixed in the center of its turquoise hilt.

Link smiled at the blade and steadily approached it, an audible hum and a light whisper ringing in his ears the closer he came to it. At last, he reached out his hand and touched the hilt, and it immediately reacted. The hum grew into a soft whistle and the sword lit up like a beacon. The whistle grew louder and louder until it resembled a strong gust, and a blinding flash emanated from the Goddess Sword, forcing Link to shield his eyes.

And when the light faded and he lowered his arm, the sword was gone. In its place was a floating spirit, black-and-green heels snaking up her slender legs and tucked underneath the blue-and-purple robe-like form of her torso. In an instant, she drew exceedingly close to the hero, their faces now barely inches apart. Link had remembered that this sword spirit lacked any understanding of emotion, but as they stared at each other, he could swear a small smile formed on her lips.

"Master." she said in her echoing and metallic voice. "It has been a long time. I am pleased to see you"

"You too, Fi. If you don't mind, I need your help again. I…

"Your expression and tone indicate that you require my assistance immediately. As such, no explanation will be necessary for the time being, Master. I will gladly follow you wherever you may go."

"That…sounded kind of creepy, but thank you."

"I detect malevolent forces approaching our location. Shall we begin our assault?"

Link nodded just as the Bokoblins and Aeralfos stormed into the statue after their green-garbed foe, surprised when they laid eyes on Fi but continuing their charge regardless of it. As they drew close, the sword spirit drifted forward, and with her leg stretched out, she spun like a ballerina. The monsters failed to see what threat this posed to them and almost laughed.

That is, until Fi's heel slammed into them. She had put so much force into the kick that it sent the nearest Bokoblin flying backward like a cannonball into its comrades. The monsters then looked at her in shock, then at themselves, and then back at her.

"I do not appreciate bragging, let alone from myself," said Fi. "But I would seem that your chances of victory are dropping exponentially by the second."

"With that said," said Link as he drew his blade and stood at the ready beside his ethereal companion. "Who's next?"

The monsters did the wise thing and turned to flee. Or rather, it would be wise if not for the fact that Lana and Groose appeared in the doorway and blocked them.

"Goin' somewhere?" Groose asked as he cracked his neck with a smirk.

The small mob put up one final defense as Groose and Lana rained projectiles down on them and Link and Fi rushed them from behind, and within moments, the way was clear as the four

"Hello again, Fi!" Lana chirped. "You're looking great as always!"  
"Lady Lana." Fi said in her monotonous drone. "Despite your presence, I estimate a very low chance of Cia's involvement. Approximately 13% at best."  
"Man, I really gotta get used to that…but yeah, Cia doesn't have anything to do with this…at least, not that I know of. I hope not."

"My records are incomplete as a result. May I ask who is this event's perpetrator?"

Link, Lana, and Groose pointed toward Veran, still fixed in her spot in the sky and generating more and more monsters the longer she was left untouched. Fi took a moment to look over the sorceress.

"Error." she said. "I lack any relevant data on this individual. Regardless, her actions against Skyloft are enough reason for her to be eliminated as soon as possible. Please allow my assistance.

"Wait, wait, wait." Groose started. "YOU'RE gonna help us?! You don't even have arms, for cryin' out loud!"

"I fail to see the relevance of that statement. I strongly advise overlooking it. My joining your cause will substantially increase your chances of victory."

"Ooooookay, how big a chance are we talkin' here?"

"According to my calculations? Approximately 85%."

"Woo, boy! With those kinda math skills, I oughta get you doing my homework!"

Groose snickered to himself, perfectly aware that Link and Lana weren't going to laugh at his joke, and wasn't really that surprised when Fi didn't laugh, either. When she spoke, however…

"Irrelevant to our current predicament as well as an illogical situation for both you and I. Having me do your academic work would be detrimental to your success."

"That was a joke." Groose groaned.

"I understand that it was a joke, Master Groose. I simply did not find it humorous due to both illogic and your faulty delivery."

"Umm…ow. Yeah, ow. That hurts, Fi."

"It would seem you are taking this light bit of criticism far too seriously. I would advise against allowing it to impact yourself in future events."

"…what?"

"Get over it."

"Jeez, for an emotionless ghost, you sure know how to hurt a guy's feelings…"

Veran spotted the four breaking into a run and felling more of her minions. She scowled as she spotted Fi, kicking in pirouette-like poses and even temporarily shifting back into her sword form to slash at any monster that got too close.

"Oh, found a cute little fairy friend, have you?" she jeered.

"Inaccurate." Fi replied. "I am a spirit inhabiting the Goddess Sword created for the sole purpose of guiding Hylia's chosen hero to his destiny."

"Oh…o-okay, uh…well, you'll die along with the rest of them!"

"Inconceivable. I lack the proper functions to decease in any manner. My deactivation would be against the…"

"Oh, shut up!"

Veran rained her spells down on the heroes, Lana conjuring up a series of shields and reflecting them back at their caster who simply waved them aside. Veran sneered.

"Is there any time you lot want to actually give me a decent challenge?" she asked. "I'm really getting bored up here."

"Hey, I'm fallin' asleep listening to you, but you don't see me cryin' about it." Groose shot back. "Besides, what kinda logic is that? Just drop down and have your way with us…that sounded wrong."

"Yes. Yes it did. But I don't know. I don't really fancy getting too dirty. Why don't you come up here instead?"

"Alright, that does it! Screw you, lady!"

Groose fired a single bomb from his launcher, too suddenly for Veran to get out of the way. She screamed as it detonated against her, and though it left no real visible damage on her, it certainly smarted and left her furious.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play it, eh?" she seethed. "I have an idea, then. A little race. I hear there's some happy, fun-loving children in your Knights Academy. How well do you think they'd take to burning alive?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Groose hollered.

"Looks like I would. Aaaand GO!"

And the sorceress took off, flying as fast as an eagle and not slowing down for anything. Link and Groose fired their arrows and bombs and Lana cast her spells, but nothing slowed the evil woman down. Panic quickly started to brew in Groose's mind as he watched Veran get closer to the Knights Academy. He wasn't going to act like he liked everyone there, but he certainly didn't want to see them all die, either. With that thought, he fired one last time, the shot incredibly accurate but Veran sensing it ahead of time and reflecting it. The bomb backward just enough that it hit the ground by Groose's feet and sent him flying backward. Link and Lana quickly rushed forward to catch him, but he was too furious for anything else.

"Dammit, get down here and fight like a man!" he shouted after Veran. "…er, woman, 'scuse me."

"Give it up, Groose." Lana sighed. "She's not listening. Besides, she wouldn't do something like that…would she?"

"Whether she does or not, we can't just let her fly around like she's a freakin'…wait a minute! That's it!"

"What is?"

Groose didn't answer. Instead, he ran to a nearby wooden platform hanging out over the edge of the floating island. He took a good look down into the cloudy abyss before sticking his finger up to calculate the wind direction. At last, he nodded and motioned at his comrades.

"Come on, you guys! I've got us a way here!"

"Back up a second, Groose." Lana said. "I don't think you realize what you're doing here."

"Yeah, I do! I'm giving us a way to catch Veran and put her down!"

"No, you're asking us to jump off of an island miles above the ground to our deaths. Think of something else."

"Lana, do you really think I'd do that? …you know what, don't answer that. I'm gonna call my Loftwing. He should be able to get me over there fast enough, and I think we should be able to get you some, too."

"Don't you need to have some kind of special bond with a Loftwing before you can ride it? Like meeting it when you're just a kid?"

All of a sudden, the idea sounded like complete gold to Link. He felt himself reliving the memories of his ancient ancestor. A red-feathered Loftwing swooping in out of nowhere. Calling out to him. Beckoning him to come to it. In a split second, the great creature flew at high speed, its master clinging to its back and cheering as loud as his lungs could muster. His senses regained, Link felt a newfound determination within him and clenched his fists.

It was worth the risk.

"Okay, Groose." he said. "Let's do it."

"What?! Lana sputtered.

"I trust him, Lana. He can't be wrong about something like this."

"Uh, yeah, he can!"

"Okay, then don't trust him. Trust me."

Then Fi spoke up and added math to the whole situation, which somehow made it make more sense.

"Lady Lana," she said. "While this strategy may sound very farfetched, I would recommend you place your faith in both Master Groose and Master Link. Failure to do so would result in 90% chance that Veran will lay waste to the Knights Academy."

"Oh, man, you really had to do that, huh?"

To tell the truth, Lana had been motivated to go along with the idea the moment Link asked her to trust him. How could she not trust him after all the things she knew he, his ancestors, and even his descendant were capable of? Even if she still thought the idea was crazy, she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"Alright." she sighed. "Let's do it."

"Okay." said Link, tightly grasping her hand as the four of them lined up on the dock.

"What are you doing?"

"When you mentioned having a special bond with a Loftwing, it reminded me of something. You've probably seen it."

When he mentioned it, she remembered she'd seen such a thing from his ancestor, but the same question running through his mind then ran through her mind: would the Crimson Loftwing recognize this version of the hero as its master?

It was either take the gigantic leap of faith (understatement of the millennium) or let Veran kill tons of innocent people. So again, she really didn't have a choice in the matter.

"Okay. Let's do it. Just pull us back with the Hookshot if it doesn't work." she said.

"It'll work." Link said. "I promised."

"Okay!" Groose called. "Ready…JUMP!"

And they jumped, Lana shutting her eyes and clutching herself against Link to give her some kind of security as the wind rushed past them. Groose raised his hand to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Nearly instantly, there came a call of a Loftwing as it surged underneath its master and picked him up. Link nearly laughed when he saw that the feathers on the Loftwing's head were styled up in the exact same way as Groose's pompadour, but he had his own dilemma to concern himself with.

"Please for the love of all that's good in Hyrule let this work…" he muttered to himself before he too let out the same whistle.

Lana clutched Link tighter as she tried her best not to scream, and Link meanwhile kept praying the Loftwing would come. His faith in it steadily started to drop the further they fell, the howling wind getting louder and louder until they reached terminal velocity.

Amidst the howling wind, however, they heard it. The Loftwing's call. Link looked off to the side and saw a red blur arching its way out of clouds, flying toward him at high speed. In a matter of seconds, the great bird reached him and glided underneath, safely catching the two free-fallers and quickly arching back toward Skyloft.

"Holy crap, it worked!" Lana cried.

"Told you!" Link laughed before letting out a loud cheer as the Loftwing picked up speed. "Man, this is AWESOME!"

Lana couldn't help but smile at Link's child-like excitement over this event. Needless to say, she was enjoying herself as well, though she still clung hard to Link out of fear that she might fall off. Somehow, this moment was still perfect. She was high above the clouds with him, soaring on the back of an elegant creature of the sky with nothing to interrupt them.

"It would seem the Crimson Loftwing has recognized you as its master. These results are extremely satisfactory."

At least until Fi flew up next to them and decided to play the part of the exposition fairy again.

"You really know how to ruin intimate moments, huh, Fi…" Lana growled under her breath.

"What's that?" Link asked.

"Nothing."

All of a sudden Groose swerved up next to them with a thumbs-up.

"Alright! You got yourself a ride!" he called. "Now, whattaya say we show this crazy broad how we do things downtown?!"

"…I don't get it."

"Doesn't matter. Let's go get her!"

The Loftwings picked up speed, letting out their mighty calls again. By now, Veran was dangerously close to the Academy, already conjuring a massive blast to lay waste to it. She could imagine its inhabitants screaming, crying, begging for mercy…how it satisfied her in ways her enemies (and even her allies) couldn't understand.

But much to her chagrin, in rode the buzzkill.

"Hey!" Link shouted. "We're not done with you, Veran!"

The sorceress growled to herself and spun around, casting her spell at the three flying targets and missing by some distance as the Loftwings and Fi swerved out of the way.

"You just don't give up, do you, boy?!" Veran hollered at Link.

"It's not in my nature. Neither is letting monsters like you and Ganondorf run amok."

For a moment, Veran looked at Link like he was the biggest idiot in the entire history of Hyrule. Then she smirked, then stifled her laugh, then let it loose at full force, slapping herself on the knee and nearly doubling over. Meanwhile, even Fi was starting to wonder how much sanity this woman had if any.

"Ganondorf?!" she said, her voice still shaking with laughter. "You really think I'm working with GANONDORF?!"

"…well, I did." Link said with a raised brow. "Right up until you pulled out cliché villain trope number 10, otherwise known as the unsubtle evil laughter."

"Ah, you're cute, Link. You really are. But come now. What would that great oaf possibly have to interest me?"

"Not to praise him or anything," said Lana. "But he could probably snap you in half with one hand if he wanted to. Just saying, you know? He's pretty strong."

"No matter what you think of him, he is worthless next to my queen."

Link had a really bad feeling about who said queen might be, but quickly put the thought aside for both how farfetched it was and how at this particular moment, he really didn't care. Neither did Veran yb the looks of it. She readopted her sly grin and cocked her head.

"But enough talk for now." she cooed. "Let's see what you and your friends are really made of, dear."

"With pleasure!" Link shouted.

Link's Loftwing surged forward as Link himself raised his blade. Veran strafed to the side just in time to dodge the sword, but not quickly enough to dodge Lana's lightning bolt. It paralyzed the witch long enough for Fi to swoop in and deliver a sharp kick to her side. Veran buckled in just the right direction for Groose to swing his launcher and hit her at just the right angle to send her shooting downward. The bricks beneath Veran dented from the impact and she felt pain shoot through her skeleton, but more importantly was her rage flaring up yet again.

"Hm. Maybe taking it easy on you was a bad idea. Fine, then!"

She shot back up like a rocket and left a rain of dark explosions in her wake, shaking the Loftwings just enough to throw their riders off-balance. Veran took that opportunity to surge toward the closest target and strike, which in this case happened to be Groose.

"Oh, by the way," she said as her fist made contact with his chest. "Your hair looks stupid!"

"Screeeeew yoooooooou!" Groose yelled as he fell a massive distance toward the street.

Link grew panicked and was about to surge downward to rescue his ally, but thankfully Groose's Loftwing was three steps ahead of him, swooping down and catching its master in a timely manner. Veran wasn't as impressed.

"Damn birds ruining even tiny bits of fun…" she growled. "No wonder they went extinct…they did, didn't they?"

"No, they didn't." Lana shouted. "They got rare, certainly, but thank the goddesses there's enough good people to keep them safe from monsters like you!"

"Oh, don't try that with me, you brat. Besides, you don't even like that little wretch."

"He's more tolerable than you! Let's take her down, Link!"

Link nodded, and his Loftwing fired forward again. Veran sneered and caught it by the beak with one hand. As she did, Lana stood up and vaulted herself forward, ready to cast a series of offensive spells at her full blast. But just like Groose's Loftwing, Veran was ahead of Lana by a mile.

"No, sweetie. That's not how this works."

The witch repulsed the Loftwing just enough that Link wouldn't have time to rush forward and save his friend. Then she seized Lana by the neck and started to throttle her, and Lana herself felt the darkness start to seep under her skin. It burned. Oh, goddesses, it burned! She began to scream, and Veran smiled like a vile beast ready to claim its prey.

But then the exposition fairy made herself useful yet again.

"A 91% chance that continued exposure to your attack will terminate Lady Lana." she said. "This is against the goddesses' wishes. You must be stopped."  
"I would love to see you try, honey."

"Not I, of course. I am merely the distraction. Master Groose! STRIKE!"

Indeed, Veran had been so distracted by harming Lana that she hadn't noticed Groose sneaking up behind her until it was too late. He surged toward her with his fist raised.

"HEADS UP, BITCH!"

The fist connected and Veran let out a loud cry of pain before she dropped the weakened Lana. Groose kept himself buy even then, swerving down and catching her in his strong arms.

"Alright! Link! Fi! Take 'er down!"

Veran spun around and telepathically blocked Link's sword, pushing it upward and preparing to strike his chest and send him falling to the ground. She hadn't seen Fi shift back into her sword form and land in Link's other hand until she realized she had left herself fully exposed. It seemed to happen slowly. She saw Link's smirk of triumph and the fire in his eyes, and she certainly felt the tip of the Goddess Sword impact her shoulder and quickly slide through to the other side. The pain fired up almost immediately and somehow grew even worse when Link pulled the sword back and revealed a fresh line of blood on its blade before Fi revealed herself again.

"Lady Veran," Fi said in the same monotone voice as Veran started screaming. "It would seem you have been defeated."

Indeed she had. She lost her magical focus and her army of monsters all disappeared as her screams of pain and agony got louder. She clutched her wounded shoulder and grew disgusted as she felt the blood leak from it and into her hand. She looked up at the triumphant Link and felt her fury grow even more. How she hated this boy. She hated his guts, she hated that he had beaten her, and she hated how he was very good-looking despite how much she hated him (not like that had anything to do with the situation at hand, of course).

"You! You wretched little bastard!" she bellowed. "How dare you!"

"I did." Link said. "Next time, it's going through your heart. Assuming you have one, that is."

"I've never been so humiliated in all my life…gah, fine! Have your way with this place for all I care! I can't stand to stay around you pieces of filth for another second!"

Without another word, she vanished. Far below, Link saw all the citizens of Skyloft breathe sighs of relief, and they and the knights cheered the four heroes that felled the vile sorceress. Link saluted each of them before directing his smile at Fi.

"Great work as always, Fi." he said.

"I am humbled by your praise, Master Link." the sword spirit said with a short bow. "I hope I can continue to serve you well in the future."

Link directed his attention toward Groose, his Loftwing fluttering to the ground while its master still cradled the steadily waking Lana in his arms.

"Y'know, I don't think your witch friend takes losing very well." Groose said with a smirk.

"Yeah, no kidding." Link said with a laugh as his own Loftwing descended and he offered his hand out to the Skyloftian. "Thanks, Groose. Sorry I doubted you."

Groose smiled and returned the gesture.

"Don't mention it, man. Whoops, looks like Lana's coming to."

And she did, and the moment she realized what happened, she looked at Groose and pulled him into a light hug.

"Thanks so much, Groose. I owe you one."

"Uhh…n-no problem, Lana…c-could you let go now?"

Link leapt off of his Loftwing, which then turned to face him. It lightly prodded him with its beak before letting out a soft call. Link smiled. It reminded him so much of Epona that he was already starting to miss her. More importantly, however, he felt the same spark between himself and the Loftwing that he did with Epona. He felt right at home in front of it, and it seemed it did, too. It playfully nudged him again, almost as if it couldn't tell the difference between Link and its original master.

"You were great."

That was all he could muster up, and he had a feeling that was all that was needed. He felt so happy to be in this legendary bird's presence that he didn't really care about anything else. He felt like a child again…until Fi suddenly spoke.

"Master. I sense a malevolent presence nearing our location. It is vastly different from the woman we dueled."

"What?"

Link drew his weapon, as did Lana and Groose. They looked around for any sign of movement near their location, and they stayed completely silent until they heard a sudden noise. They spun toward the source and looked upward at the being perched on the small stone monument before them, and they immediately regretted doing so.

"Ah, look who's here!" the being chuckled.

"You!" Link shouted.

The being in question was none other than Ghirahim, a malevolent sword spirit effectively acting as Fi's polar opposite. Link had fought him before and had experienced several of his mighty and indeed strange abilities like brainwashing, teleportation, and dancing about to summon a giant monster known only as The Imprisoned. That, and he had an absurdly long tongue that he kept flicking out at everyone at the worst possible times…

…not that it really has anything to do with his ability as a fighter.

"Now what brings you crawling back here, dear Link?" the demon lord said in a haughty and flamboyant manner.

"Nothing that concerns you, thank you very much." the hero spat."

"Come now, that's no way to treat a guest, is it?"

The demon turned his attention to Groose and sneered.

"Oh. You're still around, are you? And you still haven't changed your hairdo? Honestly, you do know you can comb that down, don't you?"

"Jeez, will evil masterminds just shut up about my hair already?!" Groose half-shouted.

"I would have held my tongue about it, but quite frankly, it's a literal red flag waving."

Then he turned back to Link with the same sadistic smile the hero had seen him wear a dozen times.

"Anyway, where were we…ah, yes. I happened by a little while ago and caught a good seat for you trouncing that woman. Well done, I must say. But I also overhead you were looking for something. What was it now…"

Link didn't want to say anything for fear that the demon lord would try something sneaky, but what good did holding it in do? He sighed and answered.

"The Goddess Harp?"

"Yes, that dinky little thing. I'm afraid it's been…how should I put this…temporarily misplaced."

Lo and behold; he had done said sneaky thing in advance, and a certain hero wasn't happy about it.

"You son of a bitch!" he shouted. "Is messing around with everything seriously the only thing you know how to do?!"

"I figured you would be used to it by now. But hey, if you'd like to come get it, feel free. Just don't doubt any resistance, that's all."

Link gritted his teeth. Not even five minutes and Ghirahim was already started to aggravate him.

"You're really gonna try this, aren't you?" he growled.

"Of course." Ghirahim laughed. "What fun is there in just sitting idly by and letting the hero do his work without any obstacles? Besides, you're a big boy, aren't you? What's a little trek down to the surface to get beaten within an inch of your life, right?"

"How are you even alive, anyway? I cut you down myself not long ago!"  
"A minor inconvenience. I'm afraid that's really are you and your ancestor before you were and will ever be. But in any case, come get your precious harp if you so desire."

His absurdly long tongue flicked and ran over his lips, severely disturbing the hero and his companions before he lowered his voice and made the disturbance even worse.

"I'll roll out the red carpet for you in advance."

And with a snap of his gloved fingers, he was gone. Link let out an angry shout and kicked up some dirt as though it would make him feel any better.

"Damn it!" he hollered. "What the hell is that guy's problem?"

"Getting under your skin gives him some sort of release, I guess." Lana sighed. "But at least we've got a spot where the harp might be, right?"  
"Not even close, Lana."

"Think about it. If Ghirahim had something to do with it disappearing, it's more likely than not he hid it somewhere on the surface."  
"Sure, but I've seen it. It's almost the size of our Hyrule. Where the hell are we supposed to start?"

Then Groose stepped forward and offered a light glimmer of hope.

"The Goddess Harp…yeah, I've seen that before. Fi, you've seen it, right?"

"Affirmative." Fi replied.

"Can't you like do some sort of locator thingy and pick up its trail?"

"I believe you are referring to dowsing, Master Groose. But yes, I can. One moment, please."

Fi floated motionless for a moment before she slowly spun about. Her eyes glowed violet before she came to a sudden stop and shared her results.

"Location confirmed. Surface level, gateway thirty-three kilometres south of our current location. Additional information. Containment area appears to be a sort of temple separated into two distinct levels. Temple name confirmed: Ancient Cistern. A previous location of Farore's Flame."

"…uh, yeah." Groose said before lightly scratching his head. "Yeah, that works. Thanks. Anyhow, that's somewhere in the Faron Woods, right?"

"Affirmative. Lake Floria, to be specific."

"Perfect. I know where the gate there is. Let's mount up…well, if you guys'll bring me along, that is. I know I'm a pain in the butt sometimes, but y'know. You could use an extra pair of hands. Din knows Fi ain't gonna help ya there."  
"I do not find that amusing, Master Groose, and I estimate that you should be grateful I lack the capacity to harbour grudges."

In response to Groose's request to bring him along, Link and Lana looked at each other with a certain smile. Just the fact that he'd even bothered to help them fight Veran was enough for them to develop some faith in him.

"Sure, Groose." said Link. "I think you've proven enough to us so far. Let's see what you're really made of down there."

To say the least, Groose was ecstatic as he pumped his fist in the air.

"Sweet! Let's mount up!"

"I shall accompany you, as well, Master." Fi said. "I estimate a 99% chance that my services will be a useful convenience on the surface."

"Let's not waste any more time! We're off…oh, wait! I better give you these first."

He reached into his pocket and tossed both Link and Lana a thin silk veil. Very beautiful with fantastic patterns depicting the Triforce, but what were they for?

"What are these?" Link asked.

"Sailcloths." Groose answered. "Our Loftwings can't follow us down there. We're gonna skydive and use these to land safely."

"You serious?"  
"Yep."

"Okay…this is gonna be fun."

"I know, right?!"

Lana shot Link a slightly confused look.

"Link, this guy's honestly trying to kill us."

"Hey, you trust him, don't you? Besides, it'll be fun. Admit it."

"…damn it, it's really gonna be fun, isn't it?"

With that, the Loftwings took flight toward a swirling opening in the clouds due south. Link couldn't even begin to imagine how dangerous this was and how frightened his ancestor had been the first time he had gone skydiving like this. That was ignoring the fact that Ghirahim was waiting for them with whatever trap he planned to pull on them. But at the same time, he was excited. He'd handled far worse things than Ghirahim before, and he wasn't alone. He had three friends alongside him. Three friends who'd proven their worth to him combat-wise.

And he had people back home counting on him. He'd see this quest through to the end.

"Get ready, guys!" Groose shouted over the rushing wind. "We're coming up on the gate!"

Link and Lana looked down through the gate and spotted the Sealed Grounds far below. It didn't occur to them just how high off the ground they were until then, and the sight dizzied them as well as excited them even further. Now they couldn't wait for Groose to give the signal.

Whatever was down there, they would be ready for it. They had to be.

"NOW! JUMP!"

And they jumped, surging down through the hole in the clouds and letting their excitement manifest into loud cheers that could be heard from even miles away.

* * *

_**Ah, Groose. How we love you so despite you being a complete goof. And Ghirahim? Oh, good God, Ghirahim. Next to the big guy himself, he's probably my favorite Zelda villain. Why? Easy: he's just so FABULOUS!**_

_**Sorry, I've just always wanted to say that. He really is, though.**_

_**Alas, we have some grave news that a few if not all of you have probably heard, and that is that the new Zelda game for Wii U has been delayed until next year. On the one hand, if you follow the development of these games, you probably saw this coming. On the other hand, it's still really depressing, and let's face it: the Wii U isn't really in any position to hold off any huge games. However, Aonuma specifically said it was to make Zelda U the best game it could be, and I'm all for that. I don't really care if it saves the Wii U. I just want it to be good. Besides, despite what I just said about the Wii U's position, there's enough coming out this year that it should keep us busy. Splatoon, Yoshi's Woolly World, Mario Maker, and the new Star Fox are definite musts, and in my opinion, Devil's Third looks like quite the show, too (and I'm still kinda hoping Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is a thing).**_

_**Wow. That went on longer than I thought. Hell, the whole bloody chapter did. Anyhow, catch you folks later.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

***Feel free to throw Groose's theme in for extra credit.**


	8. Rescue on Death Mountain

CHAPTER EIGHT

**Rescue on Death Mountain**

The Gorons were well-known as some of the most peaceful people in all of Hyrule for one simple reason: they hated fighting except for pure sport (they were the country's grand champions of sumo wrestling for good reason). They hated bloodshed and killing in all its forms, and the thought of war always made them uneasy when they were normally such a jolly folk. The absolute worst thing anyone could do to them was bring war right to their doorstep, especially without a reason.

Yet this came to pass as Impa, Shanya, and Saria saw when they reached the slopes of the mighty Death Mountain. The Gorons rolled boulders, built barricades, and did whatever they could to ensure the bronze-skinned Gerudo wouldn't make it into their city and destroy the only home they had. As if Impa really needed another reason to hate the people of the desert. She turned her attention skyward and saw the leaders Ruto had spoken of: two elderly women gliding on broomsticks, one of fire and one of ice.

"I know those two." the Sheikah warrior growled. "Kotake and Koume. The Twinrova."

"Yeah, Nabooru told me a lot about them." Saria replied. "They're Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, aren't they?"

"Indeed. And if that's the case, they can't be allowed free reign anywhere."

A splash from the pond next to them, and suddenly Ruto stood alongside them. She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw they had made it there on time, but that relief was gone when she saw that the Gorons so far hadn't had a single shred of success pushing their attackers back.

"Damn, they're really getting it handed to them up there." the Zora princess muttered. "Okay, we've really gotta get up there and do something. You three ready?"

"As we'll ever be." Impa replied.

"Hey, you're looking a little tense all of a sudden. You okay? I mean, seeing good people like the Gorons in trouble will put anyone on edge, but this looks a little…"

"I don't need an excuse, but I've got several. Let's leave it at that and cut them down."

As Impa stepped forward and started to draw her massive blade, though, Ruto stepped forward and blocked her. The Sheikah warrior hadn't a single clue why her ally would get in the way of fighting, but Ruto was quick to explain.

"I don't think they really know what they're doing here. Fight them if you must, but don't kill them."

"Are you joking right now? Look at what they're doing!"

"I know, but I still think the Twinrova are manipulating them against their will somehow. Besides, aren't the Sheikah masters of hand-to-hand combat? Just beat them down."

Impa sighed in disgust, but let her sword click back into its sheath. The Zora princess made a very good point, and as much as it angered her that she would be by default showing her sworn enemies mercy, there was no time to argue about it.

"Fine, but we need to get moving now. Shanya and Ruto, flank the right side. Try to get up there and help the Gorons out in any way you can. Saria, come with me. Let's try to thin the Gerudo's numbers out. I assume you have the capacity to fight non-lethally?"

"You bet." Saria replied.

"Good. Let's get a move on. Be careful. They're ruthless."

They put their plan in motion, Shanya and Ruto dashing up the right slope and Impa and Saria dashing up the left. The moment the Gerudo saw the Sheikah and Kokiri approaching them, one of them shouted an order for the mob to split in two. They obliged, one half remaining where they were to keep the pressure on the Gorons and the other half running back down the slope to intercept their new foes.

"Running to meet their maker." Impa sighed. "Good…"

As ruthless as the Gerudo were as they began swinging violently at the two, Impa was just as ruthless as she palm-struck the closest one in the stomach. Just enough force to send the desert warrior flying backward into her allies. As the next Gerudo swung, Impa performed a quick roundhouse kick to her head as Saria leapt over her and slammed her spear against the ground. The small cyclone that generated from the impact was strong enough to launch all who surrounded her, and her defenses remained strong as she began to swing.

As they spotted the familiar teary eye symbol on Impa's garments, the Gerudo grew fiercer. They had enough trouble on their hands without a forest child and one of the Hyrulean Royal Family's lackeys harassing them at the same time. They swung to kill, but even then, they couldn't stop Impa from delivering powerful punches and kicks and leaving them unconscious as she and Saria fought their way further up the slope.

"Damn, there's even more than I thought…" Impa muttered to herself.

"We're gonna get sandwiched if we don't get a move on!" Saria called. "Let's push through them!"

And push through them they did, dodging the blades and kicks that came at them from every angle and counterattacking whenever they had the chance. They could now make out the Gorons struggling to hold the Gerudo back, and needless to say, it wasn't going well.

"Keep at it, brothers!" one of the Goron captains yelled. "We can't let 'em reach the city!"

"It's no use!" another one shouted. "They're gonna slaughter us all!"

"Don't you dare start cowering now! Hold the line!"

As much as the Gorons tried to keep their morale in the gray, it didn't help matter much when the two witches drifted downward and let loose with a sickly cackle.

"My, my!" said the flame-haired one. "Quite the show you boys are putting on!"

"Ah, go to hell, you old crone!" the Goron captain yelled.

"Hell, eh? Funny you should mention that, because we happen to have brought it to you!"

With another sickly cackle, Koume cast a mighty ball of fire at the small group of Gorons, but a certain Zora princess and her cloaked companion reached them just in time. With a flick of her slender arm, Ruto cast forth a wave that doused the fireball and continued onward toward Koume. Unfortunately, it seemed Kotake was on her toes (or would that be broom?) as well, casting a thin sheet of ice over the wave and shattering it. Ruto scoffed before she looked over her shoulder at the Goron troops.

"You boys really can't manage on your own, can you?" she sighed.

"Thank you, Lady Ruto." the Goron captain groaned, though with some actual gratitude in his tone.

Just as Kotake tried to fire again, she was forced to duck in cover once Shanya threw her scythe headlong at her. The two witches grew even more irritated once Impa and Saria finally made their way through the Gerudo mob and stood at the ready, Impa pointing at them and issuing a threat.

"Get down here and fight before we drag you down!" she hollered.

"We have a better idea." Kotake spat back. "Why don't we play a little catch?"

And down rained the fire and ice. The Gorons didn't dare move from their positions lest the Gerudo broke through, and thus left themselves completely defenseless to the Twinrova's attacks. Luckily, Saria and Ruto were still on their toes as they leapt into the air, a blast of wind and a surge of water breaking apart the ice and dousing the fire. As another round came down, Impa and Shanya acted and batted them away, though not quickly enough to strike their firers.

As the four returned to the ground, however, things got somewhat dicy. The four warrior women weren't prepared as Kotake and Koume cast again, this time with fire and ice spheres the size of the Gorons they were targeting.

"As if I needed another reason to hate volleyball!" Ruto said in a panicked-tone. "EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"

The Gorons, now seeing no other oppourtunity, vaulted out of the way. They were at the very least not leaving the city's access point wide open, as the Gerudo had to jump out of the way as well. The shockwaves that generated as the blasts struck the ground were enough to send the four warriors flying backward, cracking their backs against the stone walls and very nearly giving them concussions when their heads ran with the recoil. And what were the witches doing? Nothing short of cackling at their handiwork and making all the heroes (particularly Impa) want to drag them down from the sky by their long and warty noses.

"Oh, dear!" Koume chuckled. "It looks like fish in a barrel down there!"

"Looks more like two witches waiting to get flattened if you ask me!" hollered an imposing voice.

The Gorons let up a mighty cheer at the sound, and the witches were forced to duck in cover when what they thought was a large boulder came surging off a ledge toward them. As it landed, it revealed itself (or rather himself) to be far more than a boulder. He uncurled himself as he landed, showing off immense size even for a Goron as he heaved his heavy black hammer onto his shoulder. With the witches stunned at his sudden appearance, Darunia let a small smirk reach his lips.

"Sorry I'm late, brothers!" he called. "Had to smash my way through a bunch of these kids on the way down!"

"Well, better late than never, I suppose." Ruto sighed. "Nevertheless, we'd have really appreciated it if you got here BEFORE they started raining hell down on us."

Darunia rolled his eyes at the Zora princess before turning to Impa.

"Back again, eh?" he asked. "Zelda's not with you this time?"

"No." Impa replied. "And I'd be glad to explain why my comrade and I are here once we wrap things up here. Do you have any idea why the Gerudo suddenly attacked?"

"Not a clue. We were getting along fine once Nabooru started looking after them. Then all of a sudden, boom! They're charging up the mountain like we've been fighting over a rock!"

"…a rock?"

"Okay, water for them 'cause they live in a bloody desert, but you get the idea. I ain't got a clue what their problem…but then again, looks like we don't have time to worry about that."

Darunia clenched his grip on his hammer as the two witches lowered themselves into view again, snarling at the Goron chief as though that would have any effect against him.

"So you leave your people on your own for a few minutes and then just decide to swoop in and steal the show?" Kotake spat.

"How about you come down here and say that to my face, ya old bag?!" Darunia shouted. "My hammer's eager to make new friends!"

"Oh, we have a friend for you, alright."

With a snap of the witches' fingers, there came a short flash of light before them, and before them stood a heavily armoured fiend with a massive battle axe in its hands. Not a Darknut, but an Iron Knuckle. Much slower, but also with higher offense and defense, and as such, they were typically used solely in one-on-one confrontations with enemy officers.

And the enemy officer it targeted just so happened to be itching for a fight while its summoners cackled to themselves and flew off yet again.

"I can kill this one, then?" Impa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Can? I think you have to!" Ruto called.

"Alright, then. Shanya and Ruto, go after the Twinrova and make sure they don't cause any more damage! Darunia and Saria, help the Gorons defend the city! Don't let a single one through!"

The warriors obeyed while Impa drew her massive blade. Without a word, the Iron Knuckle swung its enormous weapon, the head violently rending the air it traveled through as it made its way toward its target. Impa effortlessly parried the attack, but didn't swing just yet. Their defense truly was exponential; she'd have to look for a sizable chink in the armour before attempting a blow. Otherwise she'd just be hacking away until her arms got sore.

The Iron Knuckle swung again, the Sheikah taking the opportunity to vault herself backward. The armoured fiend didn't take missing too well as it staggered backward from the swing. Right away Impa could tell that whoever within the armour (if anyone or anything) was no warrior, or at least not one who'd had any proper training with a battle axe.

Proper training or no, the Iron Knuckle wasn't a pushover. Each swing was mighty. A single strike would cause heavy damage, and every second Impa wasted fighting this thing was another second she could be spending helping her allies fight off the Gerudo. She had to put this thing down quick.

"Right, then." she muttered to herself. "Opening, opening. There has to be one somewhere…"

She dodged and blocked, which progressively became ever so slightly more difficult as the Iron Knuckle (and even Impa herself) started to lose its patience. It swung evermore furiously, each swing barely missing Impa as continued to vault about and search for a weak point.

The two kept their weapons locked in a clash as they each tried to outmuscle each other. Right as she started to gain the upper hand, Impa could make out a space between the armour just under the fiend's shoulder. She struggled for a moment longer and pushed with all her might, driving the Iron Knuckle back and lunging for the supposed weak spot. Alas, the Iron Knuckle saw this coming, recovered from the parry in a millisecond, and struck with its fist. Impa could practically feel her ribs crack as the metal gauntlet slammed into her chest. She clenched her teeth as she slid backward, but otherwise remained standing. She wouldn't fall here. Not to this thing.

"At least now things are starting to get interesting." she growled.

She lunged again, pinpointing the precise area she wanted to strike at the hip. She dodged the axe one last time and swung with all her might. To her surprise, it seemed this Iron Knuckle was learning how to handle its weapon fairly quickly as it blocked and parried her attack. The force was enough to send Impa reeling backward and leave her wide open as the Iron Knuckle raised its axe for a finishing blow.

"Comin' through!" yelled Darunia.

With a swing of his hammer, Darunia struck the Iron Knuckle's axe away and hauled Impa to her feet, patting her on the back with his mammoth hand.

"No lyin' down on the job, brother….er, sister! Don't let this jerk make a monkey out of you!"

Impa nodded just as the Iron Knuckle swung again. She tossed her blade upward for a brief moment and clapped her hands onto the axe head. She strained for a brief moment, then forced it away with sheer strength. As the Iron Knuckle swung again, Impa seized her blade as it finished its descent and swung hard into another clash. By now, she could hear her opponent grunting in slight exhaustion. Music to her ears at this point.

The Sheikah warrior strafed to the side and went for the weak spot again, this time striking it with full force. The Iron Knuckle let up a metallic shout as its chest plate detached, exposing the far more vulnerable chain mail underneath. A perfect target as Impa leapt forward and dropkicked the Iron Knuckle right in the chest, the force of her legs sending the fiend flying backward into the wall. It clanged its head against the rock and fell to its knees in a daze while its axe lay a good ten feet away from it.

"Perfect!" Darunia shouted. "You've got the true makings of a warrior!"

Impa smirked at her Goron comrade as she anchored her giant blade on her shoulder.

"As much as I don't like to boast, let's be frank. I was far beyond the fighting ability of this rogue."

As Impa and Darunia approached, they brandished their weapons menacingly and waited for the Iron Knuckle to regain its composure. When it did, however, something about its voice sounded different as it groaned and shook its head. It looked up at Impa and Darunia and reacted in pure confusion.

"What in the…what the hell have I been doing?"

The Iron Knuckle continued to look around as Impa and Darunia came to a sudden stop, their three allies joining them not a moment too soon. That voice…it sounded familiar. After a few moments of confusion, the heavily armoured knight began and clutching at its head before wrenching its helmet off, exposing the stunning yet heavily panting Gerudo inside.

"Sweet Nayru, I can't breathe in that thing!" she sputtered.

"Nabooru?!" said Darunia. "Did you go and get yourself kidnapped AGAIN?!"

"Hey, shut up! You're the one who got his butt handed to him by a big snake!"

"DRAGON, not snake! Big difference!"

This was before one even paid attention to Impa, shocked to see she had been fighting the legendary Sage of Spirit the whole time. Nabooru shook the dizziness out and detached the rest of the armour and chain mail before turning to the Sheikah with a light smile.

"Quite the sword arm you have there. Thanks for knocking me back to my senses, Miss…?"

"…Impa."

"Impa? …well, you're sure as hell not OUR Impa. No offense, but she's a little more subtle with her fighting. All sneaky and stuff."

"I prefer to face my enemies head on and at least give them the tiniest chance to fight back. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, not at all. You're not worse or better. Just different."

"Wonderful. Now are you going to call off your troops or do I have to slit your throat, too?"

"Call off my…what in the world are you talking about?"

As soon as Nabooru spotted the Twinrova out of the corner of her eye, however, she instantly knew what was happening. She gritted her teeth and turned to look down at the slopes, the Gorons and Gerudo still clashing violently and without mercy.

"Fools, all of them." she grumbled. "Who do those hags think they are, telling my people to wage war against the Gorons?!"

"Sheesh…" Ruto scoffed. "You Gerudo just love to fight, don't you?"

"Honey, coming from you, that doesn't mean a damn thing to me."

"What's that supposed to me?!"

"It means I'm not the one who made a ten-year old boy carry her through a giant fish's body just to get a bloody jewel. And before you push that fiancé crap on me, he didn't have a damn clue what you were talking about, so guess what? Doesn't count."

"…nice to see you, too, Nabooru."

Putting her spat with Ruto aside, Nabooru looked back in shame at her people and stood tall above them. Just as the Gerudo finally broke through the Gorons' defenses, Nabooru escalated her voice as loudly as she could.

"Sisters! You have brought shame upon yourselves and me!"

The Gerudo stopped their assault all at once and stared in shock at their true leader, firstly surprised that she had been there the whole time and under the control of the Twinrova, but also dismayed and intimidated as she continued to berate them for what they had done.

"The Gorons have never intended to harm us or anyone else!" the Sage of Spirit continued to shout. "How dare you turn your blades on them!"

"Please forgive us, Nabooru!" one of the Gerudo captains cried. "The witches deceived us!"

She figured as much, but as they heard the sound of clanking armour steadily growing louder. Impa looked down over the slopes and spotted an army of Stalchildren making their way up the mountain, and leading them was none other than Onox. The evil general cast his gaze upward and spotted his foe glaring down at him, smirking in response.

"We meet again, General Impa!" he called. "You've finished licking your wounds from our last encounter, I see!"

"Him again…" the Sheikah growled. "Is he here just to fool around with me?"

A fair distance overhead, the witches continued to observe the situation having been driven back by Shanya and Ruto minute earlier. The moment Nabooru broke free of the armour had been the moment they started fearing for their own well-being, not helped when Onox made his grand entrance.

"Hm. Looks like dear little Nabooru's been freed, Kotake." Koume growled to herself. "Shall we fall back for now?"

"As much as I hate letting these wretched little beasts run loose, it seems we don't have much of a choice." Kotake sighed. "Not with that big knight fellow waltzing in and tearing the place up piece by piece."

Impa gritted her teeth as the Twinrova vanished from sight, but she had a pretty vague idea of where they would be going. Just as well. She was looking to make them meet their ends by her blade anyway. One grudge at a time.

"Now that the witches have been dealt with," Impa started, pointing her blade at Onox's approaching forces. "We take the fight to Onox!"

"You got it!" Darunia roared before turning to his kin. "Alright, brothers! Let's show these punks we mean business!"

The Gorons let up a loud cheer, and Nabooru was quick to add fuel to the fire.

"Now we redeem our honour!" she shouted to her underlings. "Go! Follow Darunia!"

The Gerudo let up a similar cheer and followed the Goron chief down the slopes to meet the undead army, one of them unsheathing a pair of scimitars and tossing them to Nabooru. Just as she caught them, she demonstrated incredible skill with them as she stabbed and slashed in a brilliant acrobatic manner that rivaled that of Impa. Impa herself was impressed, but simply couldn't look past Nabooru's heritage.

After all that the Gerudo had done to her, she couldn't trust even the noblest one.

"Still just as stubborn as last time, I see." Onox scoffed, readying his flail. "Are you ready to be devastated yet again?"

"You'll soon learn two things about me, Onox." Impa spat. "I learn from failure, and I know how to hold a grudge."

"Let's see whether either of those traits will help you survive. This time, I will show no mercy."

Impa felt the force of Onox's weapon even before he launched the sphere at her, and she knew fighting as aggressively as she did last time would only help him put her down for the count faster. She'd employ the same tactic as she had on Nabooru: wait until she spotted a chink in the armour and then strike.

The only problem with that was that Onox was clearly more calculated than the brainwashed Gerudo had been. He caught onto her strategy in a matter of moments and began attacking the Gorons and Gerudo around him, forcing Impa to take defensive action for her comrades lest they be mauled by Onox's flail.

"Cheating bastard…" Impa growled as she blocked the metal sphere from striking a nearby Goron.

Even if she'd spend all her energy where it wasn't necessary, she had to get on the offensive and keep Onox's focus on her or else risk letting him harm her comrades. As the general swung his weapon again, Impa seized the chain as it came close enough and pulled as hard as she could. This forced Onox close enough for her to deliver a strong flip kick to his face. Her greave chipped hard against his helmet's visor, and she found herself intrigued by the small bit of his face that had now been revealed.

The fanged mouth she had seen in their last battle combined with his ability to breathe fire was enough to warrant Impa's fear that he was no natural being, and getting a good look at his black scaly cheek and thin pupils only confirmed it. It only made her so nervous because she'd encountered a being like this in the past who had overpowered her extremely easily. In fact, it was very likely that the brainwashed Volga would have killed her if not for Link's interference.

The problem was that she didn't have that kind of protection against Onox, and he knew it. He swung at her again, deflecting her mighty swing and leaving her wide open. He swung again and she leapt backward, clutching at her shoulder as the aftershock of Onox's previous attack ran up her arm. She gritted her teeth and lunged again when he started to laugh at her, both of them simultaneously swinging at each other as hard as they could. The weapons collided, Onox being able to take the force as his metal ball planted itself firmly into the ground but Impa clearly not.

The strike rattled her bones to the point of near disintegration and sent her onto her knees, her blade jammed into the ground so deeply that even with her being much stronger than the average woman, nothing she did could get it free. And with Onox looming over her with that same vile grin on what little Impa could see of his face, that clearly wasn't a position she wanted to be in.

"Still so disappointing." the demonic general sneered as he raised his armour-clad fist. "Give me a real fight!"

As Onox swung his fist downward, Impa finally got the assistance she needed. Shanya dropped down from her aerial assault on a small squad of Stalchildren and blocked the blow. Though she was strong, she couldn't hold back Onox's might for long, made apparent when she began to grit her teeth and release strange vocalisations that sounded like strained breathing. Beneath his helm, Onox smiled maliciously.

"One of the so-called hero's lackeys, eh?" he laughed. "I must say that watching you suffer is quite a joy for me."

Shanya struggled even further against Onox's strength until he finally managed to get his weapon loose and overpower her. As Shanya stumbled backward, her opponent swung the sphere headlong at her. By now, Impa had dislodged her own weapon and tackled her subordinate out of the way just in time. She wasn't, however, quick enough to stop the ball from striking her, and before she knew, she found herself tumbling down the nearest slope until she came to a stop flat on her face.

"Sweet mother of…damn you, Onox…" she groaned, trying her best not to faint from pure exhaustion.

Every part of her body ached, and she could already feel huge gashes in her chest, back, and limbs. She steadily pulled herself toward the nearest wall, hauling herself to a sit and clutching her burning stomach as she reached into pocket and produced a bottle of red potion. As she did, a small mob of Stalchildren began to menacingly close in on her. She lacked the stamina to seize her blade and dispatch them with a sip of the concoction in her hand, and even that seemed to be more difficult than it was worth.

Thankfully, one of her newfound comrades was quick to drop from above, swinging her scimitars in a fierce and timely manner. Nabooru looked over her shoulder at the still-incapacitated Sheikah and called to her.

"Impa! You alright over there?!"

"Pardon me, but does it look like I'm alright?!"

"Ah, never mind! Just take a swig of that junk and get back on your feet! We're not done yet!"

As the Stalchildren fell before Nabooru's blades, Impa finally managed to get the cork off her bottle. She took a sniff of her potion and scowled before drinking as much of it as she could without gagging. It tasted as bad as it smelled, but it was just the thing to send energy shooting back into her body. Just in time, for as Nabooru dispatched the last Stalchild, Impa spotted a most terrifying sight not far away.

The second she had the strength to do so, she dove forward onto her stomach and pulled Nabooru done. As she hit the dirt, Nabooru herself spat the dirt and loss blades of grass out of her mouth and shot Impa a look of pure venom.

"What the hell's your problem, ya crazy…"

"Shh. Cucco."

Nabooru's eyes comically widened as she just now noticed the white-feathered creature darting about the place, pecking at the ground as it looked for food. There was a number one rule regarding Cuccos: don't ever make them angry. Not because they were particularly strong, because they weren't. Anyone could take down a lone Cucco with their bare fists if they wanted to. The problem was that Cuccos were very social with others of their kind, and the bond they formed was enough to warrant an entire flock attacking anyone who harmed or otherwise pestered a single one. In short, if you messed with one of them, you messed with all of them, and that was something no one should ever have to be a part of.

Though perhaps that's what they wanted at this particular moment. Impa pulled herself to her feet and dashed toward the bird, Nabooru very nearly grabbing her ankle and yelling for her to come back. Impa could already see Onox swinging his flail madly at his Goron opponents, sending them all flying with each swing and laughing like a madman. Saria and Shanya were doing their absolute best to hold him back, but if something wasn't done soon, there'd be nothing left but an enormous bloody mess.

She needed to be quick. She picked up the pace as she seized the Cucco. Understandably, it started to buck about in the Sheikah's grasp and peck at her hands in an attempt to get free. It hurt, but she couldn't stop now. As soon as she was within the proper distance, she reared her hand back.

"Oi! Onox!" she shouted. "CATCH!"

Before Onox even knew what was happening, Impa chucked the bird headlong at him. It clanged against his helmet and fell limp onto the ground as he started to laugh. Did she really think that was going to do anything to him?

And then it happened. The Cucco, forgetting that Impa had been the one that had thrown it, focused all its attention on Onox. It sat up and glared at him before it raised its head skyward. As its anger peaked, it let out a loud and echoing crow that silenced everyone on the mountain. Instantly knowing what such a crow implied, the Gerudo and Gorons ducked in cover just in time.

Onox himself looked around in confusion having never seen such a creature and not really caring how angry it was with him. At least, he didn't care until the cavalry rode in one white wings of fury. Dozens upon dozens of Cuccos suddenly swarmed in out of nowhere, and every single one of them came charging at Onox. He didn't expect anything from them. Quite frankly, he expected them to bounce of his armour like they were mere insects. That is, until they slammed into him and made such severe dents in his armour that he felt it start to stick into his skin.

"What is this madness?!" he shouted as he started to swing at the furious birds. "Get away from me!"

"No use, Onox!" Impa called as she tried not to laugh. "They peck to kill!

Onox continued to fruitlessly swat at the angry birds as they continued to tear into him. Even when he did manage to lightly strike one, it only made it even angrier, which by extension made the whole flock even angrier until they all retreated a small distance away. Perhaps to admire their handiwork or to give Onox at least a smidge of breathing room. Either way, Onox himself staggered about for a brief moment, so dazed that he had perhaps even forgotten his own name for a minute or two. When he'd at least somewhat recovered, he looked at the sitting flock and spread his arms out in a false show of indifference.

"Is…that it?"

Apparently not, for the thirty or so Cuccos took that moment to fly forward all at once and slam their combined body weight against him. Surprisingly, there was enough force behind the blow to launch Onox off the nearby cliff. He fell a fair distance, rolling head over heels down the nearby slope until he came to a stop as his head hit a fixed boulder. Even he wondered how he could have the strength to stand after getting beaten to Kingdom Come by farm birds. Satisfied, the Cuccos departed and left Impa to smile down at her enemy with crossed arms from atop the slope.

"As long as we were playing dirty, yes?" she laughed.

"Damn you, you filthy Sheikah!" Onox hollered. "This is not over! Do you hear me?!"

The shaking that occurred afterward could only be described as a giant waking up. How fitting, because that was exactly what was happening. Everyone heard the tired groan and felt the massive shadow blanket nearly the entire mountain as its source sat up. Even Onox couldn't help but stand staring in shock at the enormous creature shooting him a look telling him he was out of options.

"Yeah, she heard you. So did I, brother…now stop yelling and go away!"

If Onox was expecting to leave peacefully after waking up perhaps the largest Goron that ever lived, then he had another thing coming. Biggoron mercilessly reached down from his perch beside the mountain and seized the knight in one massive hand, and with a simple flick of his wrist, he tossed him away like a speck of dust. Onox's yells carried on the wind, swearing vengeance on Impa and her allies. Empty threats now that he was airborne halfway across Hyrule Field and still going.

"Ah, I love a happy ending." Nabooru smirked as she watched the knight keep on flying.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Darunia laughed as he gave a thumbs-up to Biggoron. "Great work, Brother!"

The gargantuan Goron left a booming yawn as he nonchalantly waved.

"No problem. Now can you keep it down? A guy needs his sleep up here."

The Gorons and Gerudo let up a cheer as Biggoron dozed off yet again, Darunia and Nabooru shaking each other's hands as they smiled.

"Looks like our people can take on an army pretty effectively, eh?" the Goron asked.

"Looks like it…seriously, though. What woman gave birth to that guy up there?!"  
"A woman called the very earth you stand on. We Gorons are children of the mountain. We start as simple stones until we're gifted with the spirit essence of our fathers and…"

"Just say magic, please."

Impa meanwhile smiled at the army's success, offering that smile onto Shanya as she stood alongside her commanding officer.

"Seems you're getting quite a bit of useful experience, eh?" the Sheikah asked.

Shanya nodded, a light smile on her face. The look Impa gave her was that of pure confusion, and she let that confusion speak for her.

"Can't you talk?" she asked.

Shanya shook her head. The Sheikah was tempted to ask why, but Darunia and the other Sages gathered around the two before she got the chance.

"Can't thank you enough for dropping by to help us." the Goron chief said. "We owe you one. All of us."

Impa looked over at Shanya, who nodded approvingly. Impa herself nodded in return. Four of the legendary Sages would certainly by worthwhile company in their quest.

"There is something, but I think it would be in everyone's best interest if Ruto and Darunia help me explain our presence here."

The Goron chief and Zora princess were happy to oblige, and it was an understatement to say that Saria and Nabooru weren't fascinated by the tale they told. Admittedly, it wasn't so flattering to see Nabooru shoot Darunia a smirk when he mentioned kidnapping Ruto under the influence of Wizzro taking the guise of Zelda, but the story was nonetheless captivating.

"Wow. Really?" Saria asked, wide-eyed and curious as one would expect a Kokiri to be. "That's so cool! So what are you doing here?"

"Shanya and I seek a key of the goddesses hidden with the Spirit Temple. In our time, Hyrule faces a threat from an army of darkness that Onox is a part of, and according to an imp child known as the Skull Kid, their bases of operations is somewhere in a land called Termina."

"Skull Kid? How did he get so far ahead in the future?"

"You know him?"

"Well, I think I do. The Lost Woods hold a sort of deteriorating curse that afflicts anyone who enters them. Kokiri who get lost in the forest transform into Skull Kids with little to no memory of their past lives. I've seen lots of Skull Kids, but there was always one who was a bit of a loner. He got in a fight with some of his friends from another country and came to the Woods to hide."

Certainly an interesting piece of information not that Impa needed to know it, but anything regarding Skull Kid could at the very least quell or confirm her suspicions regarding him. The fact that he had told them almost nothing about himself or this friend of his in Termina. Who was to say he wasn't a pawn in a much larger plan?

Then again, this mistrust of anyone who looked even remotely suspicious was the reason Impa had only a handful of people she could call friends.

"I'm happy to hear he's helping people, though." said Saria with a smile. "He's a good person even he's a little eccentric."

"Anyhow," said Nabooru. "We'll be happy to help. Not that I'm asking your permission, anyway. If anyone's gonna show those hags they can't just waltz around like queens, it's gonna be me."

Against her better judgment, Impa grimaced. Foul memories ran through her head as she thought of allying herself with Gerudo. Foul memories that made her furious every time she thought of them. Foul memories that had once caused her to swear that she'd slaughter a Gerudo in cold blood the next time she saw one. She knew that Nabooru wasn't one to ignore such a thing. She was raised to read people and manipulate them, and it was only second before she took a step away from her Sheikah ally.

"There isn't a problem with that, is there?"

Yes, but Impa didn't dare let Nabooru know that and risk losing such a worthwhile partnership. She shook her head, though Nabooru still gave her a confused look.

"...right…anyhow, smooth sailing." the Gerudo warrior said. "Just wear your clothes thin. My homeland isn't exactly forgiving"

"Y'know, in all our time as Sages, I've never actually been to the Gerudo Valley." said Ruto. "Is it really that bad?"

"If you're like any sane person and don't fancy drowning in your own sweat."

* * *

_**Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. For Impa, that might mean more than we think.**_

_**So, uh...yeah. Here we are after, what? A month? And a lot of stuff's been going down, most notably that huge Nintendo Direct. (MY BOY LUCAS IS BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!) Though the fighter ballot thing is what really caught my interest, and after seeing what she could do in Hyrule Warriors, I wound up voting for Impa...and Snake and Tabuu and Wolf and Wonder Red and Hades and...well, you get the idea. **_

_**But for the love of God, people. If you're gonna vote for a character, don't vote for the protagonist of your favorite anime. I've had a few run-ins with this guy on Miiverse who's so sure Goku is going to get in that he pretty much just starts screaming when someone tries to prove him wrong.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)


	9. Standoff at Kakariko Village

CHAPTER NINE

**Standoff at Kakariko Village**

While neither Rusl nor his son could say Zelda's story made any sense, they certainly weren't going to turn down an offer of kindness to them. They got their things together and set out for the Eldin province the following morning, Colin hugging his mother and kissing his baby sister goodbye. Zelda herself was marvelled at how brave he was despite his age, and she didn't have any need to fear for him after he'd demonstrated perfectly serviceable skill in battle.

The small party could make out Death Mountain towering above the quiet dusty town. Despite being so close to a volcano and being nearly completely dry save for the Eldin Spring near one of the entrances, it was a rather quaint place. Mako certainly wouldn't want to live there, especially considering there wasn't even a quick passage to Zora's Domain what with it being a fair way north from their current location. In fact, he already wanted to get out of there as he started to feel a cool sweat form on his brow. Agitha, however, found it fascinating when she managed to pick up a praying mantis, a prize she quickly showed off to an equally fascinated Skull Kid.

At this display of childish joy, Zelda couldn't help but smile. While she still knew very little about Skull Kid as he hadn't told her or the rest of their comrades anything about himself or this friend of his in Termina (or how this friend or Veran's forces had access to Termina in the first place), she couldn't say he meant anyone any harm despite his childishness.

Among their small company, Mako was the one that intrigued her the most. They had come across a mask salesman on the way to the village, who Mako stated was unnervingly familiar but bought a mask from him nonetheless, this one bearing the face of a fox-like creature called a Keaton. It seemed that Mako just wouldn't cease to catch her interest.

"I'm a little curious about something, Mako." she suddenly asked.

The Zora youth snapped to attention and turned to the princess with a surprised look on his face.

"Huh? ….uh, okay. What about, exactly?"

"I'm interested in why you joined the Hyrulean Army in the first place. Don't get me wrong, you're a great soldier, but it just kind of seems like you'd want to do other things."

Mako shrugged and scratched at the back of his head. He wasn't expecting someone like Princess Zelda herself to be this interested in him. Not in that way, of course, but it was a way get good at all three of his main interests.

For more on that, see Chapter Four. Shameless plug HO!

"Well, I like fighting. That much you could probably figure out on your own, right?"

Zelda laughed.

"Of course. That can't be all, though."

"Nah, not even close. You've probably heard something about my dad. He's probably one of the greatest Zora heroes that ever lived aside from Princess Ruto…or does that sound like I'm just desperately trying to stick him on a pedestal?"

"No, no. It's interesting. I saw my father the same way. Go on."

"I guess my enlisting was so I could carry on his legacy. I thought about everything he had done for Hyrule. Killing giant monsters, taking on enemy armies…I kinda just listened to him tell me about the stuff he did and look at my people celebrating him and thought his legacy was something impossible to live up to."

Zelda nodded, a light bit of sadness working its way to her face. She remembered that Mako's father, Nokau, had been among the soldiers that joined her father in an ill-fated battle many years ago. Word got around concerning Mako's heritage the moment he'd shown up at Hyrule Castle to enlist, and even his enlistment was problematic since Zoras were not typically born for high-scale warfare, and that was if one ignored his recklessness and him barely being of age.

"I didn't want to give up. I kept getting stronger despite everyone around me saying that it was better if I strived to be something else. Otherwise I might risk getting myself killed. But then…well, that whole thing with that witch's army happened. Cia, I think her name was. They were on their way to Zora's Domain when Link, Impa, and this woman named Sheik ripped through Faron Woods and cut them off."

"For full disclosure," Zelda said with a smirk. "Sheik was actually me in disguise as a Sheikah."

"…okay, I thought this whole time-travelling thing was weird, but that? Jeez, lady, you're never gonna stop surprising me."

He almost bit his lip when he finished speaking as he remembered who he was speaking to. He thanked the goddesses a thousand times over when he remembered Zelda also had a good sense of humour, demonstrated as she laughed.

"You'll find I have a tendency to surprise everyone. Go on."

"Well, yeah. I heard about all the brave things that you and Impa and all them did, but Link was the one that really convinced me that I had a shot. He's only a few years older than me and he just showed up out of nowhere, and here he is now. A true legend of Hyrule."

"And so you set out on your own quest for glory. I remember seeing you when I bade the newcomers good luck a few months ago. I must admit you being the only Zora amongst hordes of Hylian men and Gorons kind of made you stick out a little."

"That, and I was the best-looking…okay, now I'm just acting dumb, but anyway. None of the other trainees really though I had it in me to become a full-fledged knight. Hell, even my family and friends back home thought I was crazy, but I kept pushing myself. Then when Shanya took an interest in me and we started sparring, I really felt my skills start to improve. I kept thinking of my responsibilities as a knight, most importantly helping others whenever I could."

"Mm-hm. And I seem to remember when the drafts came along and Shanya was selected as a lieutenant but you weren't…"

Mako grimaced. He didn't like thinking about how angry he had been then, but he couldn't say it hadn't helped him.

"Yeah. I got really pissed and challenged the first commander off the top of my head, which happened to be Link. You probably know how that went."

"I do. He beat you."

"I pretty much expected him to, but I hadn't counted on him putting me down so easily. Then he told me that he loved my passion for battle. Then he asked me why I came, and I told him, and I felt so defeated from the fight that when he decided to take me and Shanya under his wing, it was just the greatest thing ever."

"Oh, that's right. You and Shanya are a rather close pair, aren't you?"

"Yep. She may not talk much…okay, at all, but she's a great friend. A lot of the other trainees said she creeped them out, but I really like her."

"That's good. She seems to like you, too…and out of curiosity again, are you two by chance…you know."

"Eh? Oh, no, no…I mean, I wouldn't mind that, but not being able to talk wouldn't be healthy for that kind of relationship."

This time they both laughed. It comforted them both to know that they had forged a rather decent friendship in the span of a few minutes, but Mako took one more moment to become serious. He clenched his fist and gave Zelda a determined smile. Exactly the kind of thing she wanted to see from a semi-hardened warrior like him.

"But in any case, no matter how long it takes, I'm gonna keep getting stronger. Someday, I'm gonna prove myself to be a true hero and become a legend in my own right…just like Link and my father."

Zelda smiled and laid her hand on Mako's shoulder, looking into his bright eyes and seeing the calm determination she loved to see in young warriors. As reckless as he was, she knew she could depend on him. Link was right to take this young fishman on as his pupil.

"And I look forward to the day when you lead your own army to glory. Until then, can I count on you to help me wherever you can?"

Mako smiled and nodded.

"Definitely! I won't let you down! …wait, why are we here again?"

Their conversation had been so engaging that even Zelda had forgotten their purpose in the village. That is, until Colin pointed ahead.

"There's something going on over there! I think it might be Midna!" he called.

"Damn." Zelda cursed. "She's not seriously thinking of starting a fight in the village, is she?!"

The group dashed ahead toward the town's alternate exit, discovering Midna's small armada of Darknuts doing battle with mysterious dark beasts with shield-like faces and red glowing markings licking all across their bodies, which in turn were large enough for the creatures to act as mounts. Speaking of mounts, a particularly large one of these beasts was carrying a very ominous figure on its back. One that Zelda recognized almost immediately and happened to be engaged in a weapons clash with Midna.

"So Zant walks the earth again." the princess muttered before she drew her blade. "Everyone! We must help Midna and force the usurper king back! To arms!"

Climbing on top of Epona and snapping the reins, Zelda led the charge toward the mob of Shadow Beasts. Though she'd never encountered creatures like this, she could at least be grateful there weren't many of them given how ill-suited her brigade to a large-scale skirmish with their current numbers.

As she magically blocked another blow from Zant's scimitars, Midna heard the distinct sound of a horse's hooves slamming against the ground and vaulted herself away from her nemesis before she looked over her shoulder. Why she was admittedly happy to have reinforcements, she didn't like the idea of a simple request meaning nothing to Zelda.

"Sheesh, you guys can't do one little thing I ask, can you?" she scoffed.

"We have more of a purpose here than you might think." said Zelda.

"Alright, fair enough. But as long as you're here, wanna make yourselves useful and help me drag this bastard by his feet?"

The Shadow Beasts snarled at these new foes, but the most furious was none other than Zant himself. He paid no attention to any of his new opponents until Zelda fired a light arrow in his direction. Sensing its trajectory the moment it was fired, he bent backward and let it pass harmlessly over him before he dismounted his steed and shifted his attention to the arrow's firer.

With a series of metallic sounds, his strange mask contracted and revealed his face, unusual for any being of Hyrule but completely normal for one of the Twilight Realm. He knit his brow and gritted his teeth as he laid eyes on Zelda, gripping his scimitars tighter the longer he looked.

"This was the time…this was the time I was finally going to rid the world of this wretch forever." the Twili warlord growled to himself.

Then the air of calculated tension around him vanished when he began to slowly contort his torso, keeping his face fixed on Zelda though he was now looking at her upside-down. Then he suddenly reverted back to his standing position before his face showed further signs of anger. Then he began to furiously squeal and hop up and down like a child being told he couldn't have something.

"And YOU!" he shouted between each hop. "You had…to come…and HELP HER!"

To say the least, Mako wasn't impressed.

"THIS is Zant?! You're kidding me! All the stories I heard about him built him up like he was this big threatening overlord that could wipe out a whole village in five minutes!"

"What's wrong with that?" Midna asked.

"What's wrong with that?! Look at him! He's acting like a six-year old!"

It was common knowledge in their time that Zant was an imposing figure capable of the greatest evils. What wasn't common knowledge was that behind the intimidating and imposing air about him was a façade, and underneath was a complete psychopath. A well-spoken and intelligent psychopath, but a psychopath nonetheless, and that madness transcended into his fighting style as he surged toward Epona in a whirlwind of slashes. Zelda pulled Epona back just in time to avoid the strikes before she leapt off the horse's back.

"Recklessness as its consequences, usurper king!" she shouted as she loaded a Light Arrow into her bow.

Alas, Zant was ready for this attack, charging a sphere of twilight and using it to deflect the gleaming projectile. As he landed, Mako was the next to attack him. The two locked their twin weapons in a clash and dared each other to try and gain the upper hand. When Mako made that attempt, he regretted it almost instantly. He had the feeling that Zant's madness served to make him even stronger, proven when the Zora youth was pushed back and seized by the neck with a grip of steel.

"Fool…" Zant hissed. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Yep." Mako growled. "Can't say I have a whole lotta respect for ya, though…"

Zant roared and slammed Mako hard against the ground, ready to impale him if not for Rusl rushing in and kicking the mad king in the face as hard as he could. The Shadow Beasts closed in on him, only to lurch backward as he took powerful swings at them. He struck one hard, surprised when it remained on its feet. It growled at him before it reared back its head, and the shrill roar that it unleashed was enough to make anyone within a mile freeze. Such a horrible sound that even the powerful Midna cringed and covered her ears.

"Where did that nutcase come up with the idea for these things?"

The Shadow Beasts lunged again, grabbing at whoever was in their reach. As soon as they recovered from the shock of the roars, Mako and Colin slashed away. Colin in particular made his way over to Midna just when Zant was about to deliver a slash to her neck. The usurper king's attack was nearly enough to throw Colin off of his feet as he blocked it, but he held strong. Zant was nearly as impressed.

"This must be some kind of joke." he growled. "Hyrule sends a child to defend it?"

Colin gritted his teeth and clenched his grip on his sword, adopting a defiant and offensive stance as Midna finally regained her composure.

"Fight me as you'd fight a grown man." the young Ordon boy spat. "I don't want your mercy."

Zant lunged at Colin, who rolled forward just in time to stand up in the usurper king's blind spot. He performed a mighty jumping slash, but didn't close the distance fast enough to strike Zant before he spun around and blocked. As the usurper king prepared to dispatch the young boy, Zelda rushed in from nowhere and parried him. She stabbed, Zant bending so far backward that it almost looked like his spine was going to snap in half.

He sprung back up and slashed, Zelda slashing at the same time and initiating a clash. Mako had only been repulsed so easily since he had no prior experience with someone like Zant, but Zelda held strong. That wasn't to say he wasn't putting a fair bit of strain on her, but she was able to resist far better than her Zora companion had.

"My business here is not with you!" Zant hissed. "Stand aside!"

"And let you harm innocent people?" Zelda shot back, thinking she might have a chance to push her opponent back but losing it in a nanosecond. "You must truly be as mad as you look."

In a sudden move, Zant vaulted backward, a twilight pillar rising from the ground for him to perch upon. With a loud shriek, he began firing spheres of darkness at lightning speed. Zelda prepared to leap out of the way when Midna rushed forward, a mirror conjured in her hands to reflect each and every projectile back at their firer.

"Don't you dare leave me out of killing him!" the Twilight Princess hollered as she cast her own magic at Zant.

"I had no such intention!" Zelda called with a smirk as she drew her bow.

"Good! Let's show him the true meaning of pain!"

Zant strafed about as quickly as he could, dodging every twilight bolt and light arrow he could until his frustration reach its peak. He let out a shrill cry and slammed his fists against the ground, generating a portal in front of the two princesses. Before they could leap away, a helmet bearing the guise of Zant's mask erupted from the gate and unleashed a shockwave in its wake. The two women were forced back just enough to give Zant some proper breathing room.

As much as he hated to admit it, Midna hadn't aged a day when it came to her combat prowess, and with Zelda and her cohorts alongside her, him and a small army of Shadow Beasts weren't nearly enough to take them down.

"Enough of this folly!" he finally yelled, mounting his steed once again. "You are all just a distraction and I demand that you leave me be!"

"If that's what you're hoping, then prepare to be sorely disappointed." Mako shouted.

"Oh, but I wasn't requesting you to stand aside.

Zant's Shadow Beast unleashed its ear-splitting roar, this time joined by several of its kin to produce a sound truly horrible and paralyzing, almost to the point of deafening all of the heroes. The noise wracked them, forcing them to stumble about as it began to feel like their brains were trying to crawl out of their skulls.

With his opponents incapacitated for the time being, Zant raised his hand and cast it forward. The Shadow Beasts charged, their goal being the exit on the other side of the town but not being afraid of mowing down the now defenseless heroes in their wake. The heroes themselves saw their plight and felt tinges of panic flare up when they couldn't bring their weakened selves to prepare a defense.

"Can't keep fighting like this…" Mako growled to himself. "Ah, damn, that was loud!"

"It can't be helped…" Zelda groaned before she raised her voice to the best of her ability. "EVERYONE TAKE COVER!"

The heroes split off, making their way to whatever they could use as cover as Zant and his armada charged through the town at full force. Alas, the roar had taken too much of a toll on one particular member of Zelda's company, and as she tripped and fell on her face in her attempt to flee, Agitha's hopes of escaping unharmed were dashed. Even as she got to her feet and began running away as fast as she could, she looked at the approaching Shadow Beasts with complete fear, particularly when Zant seemed to smile evilly at her and raise one of his scimitars to attack.

Colin meanwhile saw this display and immediately had a flashback to a similar event from a while back. The same thing had happened to a girl he knew, and back then, he had wasted no time in dashing out to save her at his own expense. Back then, though, he hadn't been armed or even nearly as confident as he was now. The only problem was that he wasn't nearly close enough to reach Agitha in time.

Luckily, there was someone much closer.

In Skull Kid's mind, everything seemed to slow down. He saw Agitha's terror as Zant charged toward her atop his monstrous steed, and in that moment, he felt a stirring of emotion. Fear, sadness, and determination. In spite of the danger he knew he'd be putting himself in, he let the determination wash over him and furrowed his brow.

He had to do something. He had to save her. He ran forward.

"SKULL KID!" Mako shouted.

The imp child didn't listen. He kept running until he closed the distance. Agitha screamed as Skull Kid slammed into her, sending her shooting to the side far enough that she was safe from the Shadow Beasts' charge. She rolled over as she hit the ground, staring in shock at the situation Skull Kid had left himself in. Skull Kid himself knew exactly what was coming and braced himself for impact, and even then, it didn't help matters much when Zant struck him across the head as hard as he could.

The strike sent Skull Kid's mask flying off and into Zant's left hand, and as Skull Kid fell limp, the usurper king wrenched him into his right hand. Skull Kid's comrades looked on at the sight in horror while Zant shifted his gaze from Skull Kid to the mask and then back again.

"This mask…" he pondered. "Where did you get this?"

He received no response as the imp child drifted into unconsciousness, but it hardly mattered now. Him possessing such a relic could not be a coincidence.

"You should be enough of a reward for such a worthless skirmish." the usurper king muttered before he raised his hand and signalled his armada to continue moving.

Enraged, Midna and Zelda jumped back into battle positions and fired everything they had at Zant.

"Get back here, you filthy coward!" Midna hollered.

It was no use. Zant and his troops disappeared past the mountains at top speed and left them all in the dust. Zelda clenched her teeth, cursing herself at failing to protect one of her own troops, but someone thankfully had the same idea she did as he rode up to her atop Epona's back.

"Hop on!" Mako called as he offered his hand.

Without a second thought, Zelda seized the Zora youth's hand and let him haul her onto the horse's back seated just behind him, and with a snap of Epona's reins, they took off after Zant going as fast as they could.

"Mako, I know this is a very inappropriate time to bring this up," Zelda started. "But have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"Nope!" Mako called back. "Hell, it's taking everything I got to not start freaking out right now, but we ain't got time to worry about that! Zant's getting away with Skull Kid over my dead body!"

Another opportunity for Zelda to admire Mako's determination, but she hadn't time to dwell on it as they spotted Zant on the horizon, the unconscious Skull Kid and his mask still kept firm in his grasp. The Hyrulean princess loaded up her bow and readying a Light Arrow, aiming to pierce the fiend's heart if she had to.

"Bring us in closer!" she called. "I'll try to cut him off!"

Mako steered Epona closer toward Zant, who turned and scowled. Without a word, he raised his hand and directed the remaining Shadow Beasts toward his pursuers. The monsters jumped at Epona from all sides, only for her two riders to leap into action. Mako flipped upward, embedding one dagger into the chest of one Beast and the other into the head of a second. As Zelda drifted upward with her monstrous pursuers reaching for her, the Triforce of Wisdom glowed prominently on her hand as she clenched it.

"NAYRU'S LOVE!"

She spun, a barrier of blue energy conjuring around her and repulsing the Shadow Beasts as they made fruitless attempts to strike her. She and Mako returned to Epona's back, though not before the former drew back her bowstring and let fly with a single Light Arrow, this time successfully striking Zant's arm. He shrieked and looked back at his pursuers. As if they needed to irritate him any further.

"Desist, the both of you!" he shouted. "I don't have time for this!"

"Then make time, 'cause we ain't leavin' here without Skull Kid, jackass!" Mako hollered back.

"Damned stupid child..."

Mako now saw that he and Zelda had chased Zant all the way to the gigantic Bridge of Eldin, a brilliant structure that sadly no longer existed in their time what with the canyon it was built over filled up with water over the course of a couple of centuries. There were debates about whether or not the canyon led all the way to the core of the very earth they strode upon, which would by default make a duel atop the great bridge (especially one on horseback) very dangerous if not outright suicidal.

Yet this would come to pass. Seeing that Mako and Zelda would chase him all the way back to the Palace of Twilight if it meant getting Skull Kid back, Zant concluded he would simply have to finish them then and there. As he reached the far end of the bridge with Epona on the opposite end, he snapped his fingers. Barriers erected on both ends of the bridge, leaving the adversaries facing each other without any manner of escape.

It was inevitable. One would ride away with the prize, and the other would fall to their death.

"Alright." Mako growled. "That's how you want it? That's how you're gonna get it. Ready, Zelda?"

"As I'll ever be." the princess said with her furrowed brow.

Zant gritted his teeth, his helm folding back over his face. His mount snarled, ready to taste another victory. He tucked his unconscious hostage onto the Shadow Beast's back and raised his scimitar.

"You will taste no victory, boy! This is your last chance to leave me be!" he shouted.

Mako cracked his neck and spat into the abyss. No threat would keep him from beating this monster into oblivion (figuratively and literally). Without another word, he snapped the reins. Epona reared back and unleashed a mighty call before she charged forward. She'd had her fair share of jousts like this and had come out of all of them unscathed so far. Though she was with a new rider this time, she had no fear. She trusted him. Not as much as she trusted Link, but she could tell that seated atop her was another brave lad ready to deliver justice wherever possible.

Zant growled, again calling Mako a damned fool under his breath before he cast his arm forward. His mount let out its shrill roar and lunged. Mako gritted his teeth and felt a thin bead of sweat running down his forehead. He'd never fought someone this mighty before, and here he was doing it in a certain life-or-death scenario. One wrong move and he'd be sent tumbling to his grave, likely dragging Zelda along with him.

But he had to fight. He had to save Skull Kid no matter what it took. He pledged himself to the preservation of justice, and he'd be damned if he didn't die still pledged to it. As the two mounts closed the distance, Mako and Zant reared their weapons back while Zelda ducked in cover, the opening for her Light Arrows not available at that moment.

At last, the Zora and Twili clashed their weapons, sending a great deal of force shooting through both of them. Enough to force Epona and the Shadow Beast to each other's sides and galloping past each other. Recovering from the blows, Mako and Zant turned their mounts around and charged again. They clashed, sending another round of force through both of them both Mako managing to run his second dagger cleanly across Zant's wrist for a fraction of a second. The usurper king cried out in pain as he charged past Epona yet again, staring at the thin yet smarting wound with shock and anger.

"I've underestimated him, just as I underestimated Midna." he muttered. "But he can't best me…I won't allow it!"

The mounts charged again, and as they drew closer to each other, Zelda stood up and fired true. The Light Arrows surged toward Zant's heart, barely missing as he contorted his body backward and flung himself into the air. His mount leapt up after him, but remained low enough that Mako could try to take a swing at it. A big mistake, as he soon found out when the Beast curled its fist and struck Epona hard atop her head. She cried out and inadvertently bent to the side, sending Mako toppling off her back and nearly off the bridge if Zelda hadn't been quick about seizing the young Zora's wrist and hauling him back up.

"This sucker's really not giving in." Mako panted as he turned Epona around yet again.

"Clash him." said Zelda. "We aren't going to get anywhere just charging past him like this."

And so Epona and the Shadow Beast charged again, this time straight at each other with collision as their shared objective. Zelda drew her rapier, ready to thrust it headlong into Zant once Mako took the brunt of the initial blow, but it seemed Zant had predicted this.

"Good goddesses, what is he doing now?!" she said as the usurper king glowed an ethereal green.

As if on cue, the glow separated into a near perfect copy of Zant, floating with its blades poised to strike. It was too late to swerve to the side and attempt another approach; Epona and the Shadow Beast were right on top of each other now. Seeing no other choice, Mako reared Epona upward. The great mare flailed her front legs as she stood in place, forcing the Shadow Beast to retreat a few inches while the phantom of Zant lunged straight at Mako.

"Get down!" Zelda yelled, shoving the young Zora's head down long enough for her to leap over him.

Her rapier blocked the ghostly scimitars and she safely landed on the dirtied bricks of the bridge, Epona and the Shadow Beast trading blow for blow and practically daring each other to try to pull back. As Zelda did battle with the false Zant, Mako leapt back toward the real one, who readied his blade the instant he saw his opponent. They clashed, Mako's cocky attitude having completely faded and replaced with a warrior's resolve. Zant pushed as hard as he could, finding a fair bit of difficulty pushing Mako back until he brought his knee up into the young Zora's groin.

"Dammit, cheap shot, you bastard!" Mako spat.

Mako regained his composure and took more swings, missing but getting the chance to show off his athletic prowess as he vaulted around each and every one of Zant's swings.

"Blasted child, hold still!"

Mako most certainly didn't hold still, but Zant didn't need him to. The Shadow Beast finally struck Epona hard across the face, causing the mare to stumble backward and collapse in a daze. Mako leapt toward Zant just in time. He managed another thin slash across Zant's one arm while taking a punch to the chest from the other. Zant shrieked again, but that hardly mattered to Mako as he could swear he felt his ribs crack with the force of the blow.

The next thing Mako knew, he was flat on his back, a strange falling shape blocking out the sun. As it got closer, he could see that it was Skull Kid's strange mask having been flung out of Zant's hand with the previous blow. As he continued to stare mesmerized at it, it fully descended onto his face. He expected to simply see through its eyes like any other of the creative masks he owned (perhaps Skull Kid would let him keep it long enough to try and recreate it) but instead…

"Good goddesses, what's happening?!" he screamed in his head.

So many horrible things in his ears, in his vision, in his mind. He saw fire burning everything in its path as a meteor struck the ground…no, not a meteor. The very moon itself, but bearing a nightmarish frown. He heard screams. Men shouting fruitlessly for everyone to seek shelter, children begging for their parents. All calls that would go unanswered by anyone.

Anyone but the shadow stalking the now dark skyline. Smirking. Laughing at the destruction it had reaped.

Then it saw Mako…and smiled.

Before the images could get any worse, Mako forced the mask off. It skittered a few feet away, and he let it sit there as he did his best to compose himself. He tried to say something that would have any impact, but all he could muster was a simple "What the hell is this thing?!" Not a bad question all things considered. A better question was how Skull Kid could wear such a thing without experiencing the same horrors.

Speaking of horrors, Zant and the Shadow Beast charged the now dismounted Mako. Epona lay tired from both the constant charges and the blows to her head, and though Zelda finally managed to dispatch Zant's phantom, she stood winded and unsure of the outcome.

That is, until she looked at Mako and saw the grin on his face.

"Ready to try something a little fancy?" he asked.

The princess had no clue exactly what was going in that zany Zora mind, but she could probably guess, and as unladylike as it was, she liked every bit of it. Then again, she wasn't exactly completely ladylike dressing up as a Sheikah or even just being out on the battlefield with her troops.

Or with her response.

"Ah, what the hell, right?"

They faced their Twili adversary and charged, their blades at the ready. Thinking all their options were exhausted, Zant looked at the two and shook his head. He could admire their bravery, but what he couldn't admire was stupidity, and they were showing it in spades.

At least, that was what he thought until they put their assault into action. Zelda dashed ahead and slid along the ground as she came close enough to the Shadow Beast. As she slid underneath it, she readied her bow and fired hard. The Light Arrow pierced the Beast's heart and sent it soaring skyward. As Zant rocketed off of his mount and drifted helplessly in midair, Mako leapt upward with his blades at the ready.

"Next time, you might wanna think twice about kidnapping a kid with me around, you no-good piece a' shit!"

Zant raised his scimitars, but wasn't fast enough to stop Mako's daggers running hard across his arms and then his chest. That alone would have been enough for put Zant down for the count, but Mako wasn't quite finished. As Zant descended far enough, Mako brought his heel slamming onto the usurper king's head, heavily cracking his helm and sending him shooting downward where the bridge caused even more trauma.

The sweet taste of victory on Mako's tongue, however. He failed to notice that as the now dead Shadow Beast went upward, the still unconscious Skull Kid toppled off of its back and was now hurtling toward the abyss.

"NO!" Mako shouted.

He hit the ground and made a run toward his falling comrade, knowing deep down that he'd never make it but still finding it in himself to try. It turned out he didn't have to. A twilight portal generated right next to the limp Skull Kid, and who should leap out and catch him but the Twilight Princess herself.

"Ladies and gentlemen, always keep a close eye on your belongings." she said with a smirk as she skidded to a halt.

Zelda and Mako breathed a conjoined sigh of relief, but they and Midna turned to glare at Zant as he somehow pushed himself to his feet. The crack across his helm had become even larger, almost to the point of the entire thing breaking in two. Even with his face obscured, nothing could hide the rage within him.

Especially not his wild contortions and childish hopping.

"Damn damn damn damn DAMN!" he shrieked. "This can't be happening! I can't lose to this wench again!"

Midna handed Skull Kid off to Zelda and began stepping toward Zant, ready to finish him off as a blade of twilight conjured in her hand. To her expectation and yet disappointment, Zant slammed his hands against the bricks he crouched upon one last time and generated a barrier. Finally, he pointed a gray and quivering finger at his enemies.

"Hear me, Midna! And you as well, boy! This isn't over! Not by a damned sight!"

"Sheesh, you really like saying 'damn' a lot, don't you?" said Mako.

Zant screamed and lifted his hands skyward, a twilight portal conjuring above him and dragging him inside. The three heroes watched in frustration for not being able to stop him from retreating, but didn't let that frustration get the better of them.

After all, there was only one place he could go.

* * *

"He's coming to. Skull Kid, can you hear me?"

"Ungh-uh…hm?"

Skull Kid at last regained consciousness, unable to sit up just yet but managing to keep his eyes open. His head rested on Zelda's lap while Mako kept a firm yet gentle grip on his hand.

Now that they could all see the imp child's face, they could say it was much unlike what they had expected. The skin of his face matched the wooden look of his arms, and his small beady eyes added onto the strangeness of it all. In place of lips, he had a wide but stubby beak, almost like that of a duck.

"What happened?" he asked, grunting in pain when he tried to sit up. "Where did…"

"Don't worry, honey." said Midna with a smile. "Zant's gone. We chased him off."

Skull Kid looked upward again as Zelda stroked his forehead and gradually helped him up to a sit.

"What you did was very brave, Skull Kid." she said. "Agitha probably would have been dead if you hadn't have done something."

"Agitha?" Skull Kid asked. "She's…okay?

His vision drifted off to one side and settled on the smiling Agitha, who edged closer toward him before taking his hand. He hadn't expected her grasp to be so soft, but he was happier just knowing that she was unharmed.

"You have my utmost gratitude." she said with a light giggle in her tone. "Here. Let me reward you."

Before Skull Kid had any time to think about what she meant by rewarding him, she leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek. Despite his skin's wooden texture, it seemed Skull Kid was still capable of flushing bright red. Thanks to this, however, he became aware that his face was bared.

"Wait…my mask! Where's my mask?!"

"Calm down, Skull Kid." said Colin. "It's right here."

Skull Kid snatched the mask back the second he saw it and put it back on his face. Mako remained puzzled that Skull Kid didn't experience the same nightmarish images that he had when he put the mask on, but let it pass for now as the imp finally managed to push himself to his feet. He looked around the village, seeing that despite the fierce battle that had gone on not long ago, it remained perfectly intact. Everyone was starting to come out of their homes and breathing sighs of relief that the twilight monsters were gone.

Skull Kid turned back to his companions, now remembering what had happened. He had been sure that Zant was going to kill him, but here he was standing with barely a scratch on him.

"You guys saved me from him?" he asked.

"Indeed." said Rusl. "Mako and Zelda rushed out after you the moment Zant took off with you.

Midna chuckled to herself.

"Yeah, someone probably should have told Zant that the last guy who kidnapped a kid in this village got beat to hell and thrown off of the bridge. Unstoppable rage, indeed."

"Umm…that kid was me, by the way." said Colin.

Speaking of Mako, Midna turned to him with a smile. Once again, Mako was thrown off by her beauty and even her sharp tongue despite being royalty. Either way, he was grateful for her words.

"The kid's right, though." she said. "Mako, right? Great job back there. You're a fine warrior for a kid."

Mako flushed and shrugged. Hearing praise from Zelda was one thing, but hearing it from a historical (and gorgeous) figure like the Twilight Princess herself was quite another.

"Well, I…figured I had to get at it is all. Get 'er done, y'know?"

"You don't talk to girls much, do you?"

"Nope."

Midna smirked. Quite an interesting fellow. She turned to Zelda, now with a look of determination.

"The biggest mistake I ever made was thinking I could take Zant on myself, and here I went and made it again." she sighed with a hint of disgust in her tone. "Feel free to call me the Queen of Buffoons if you like, and I know I don't really have any right to ask this of you, but would you all mind helping me take him down? You can have whatever you like from me once we're done."

They didn't need to even think about it. Zelda nodded.

"Gladly. There is something within the Palace of Twilight we need, anyway."

"Perfect. You can tell me on the way. Let's get moving, people!"

Their numbers having grown ever larger, the small band set out. Mako looked out amongst their troops and saw each of them doing different things from Rusl again checking over Colin to see if he was alright and Midna conversing with her Darknut minions to formulate their next offensive. Even Skull Kid and Agitha standing a little bit closer together, likely at the latter's insistence after the former's bravery though he didn't seem to have any objection to it. Epona was thankfully back on her feet like the faithful steed she was even after the abuse she'd taken from Zant's Shadow Beast.

Then he turned to Zelda, smiling confidently as she strode along. Something lingered in his mind. Something he thought only she could make any sense of. He didn't know why he thought that. Perhaps it was a certain kind of trust he had built up after what they had accomplished on that day.

Nevertheless, he needed to make her aware of his fears.

"Zelda…there's something wrong."

"About Skull Kid? Yes, I do have some suspicions about him."

"No, not about Skull Kid. I don't think he'd hurt a fly if he didn't have to. It's that mask I'm worried about."

Zelda looked at Mako in total curiosity. She could admit the mask was strange, but she didn't think for a second that it could be the source of the air of unease lurking about.

"How do you mean?"  
"When we were fighting Zant, it fell on my face and…the things I saw were just…"

He couldn't even tell her, but it didn't seem to matter. She laid a hand on his shoulder and gave her that smile that seemed to soothe just about everyone.

"It doesn't matter right now. Midna was right. Your saving Skull Kid was one of the bravest things I've ever seen anyone do."

"Well, sure, but you helped."

"I did, but who did the majority of damage to Zant, now?"

Mako smiled. He clearly wasn't going to talk Zelda out of praising him, but then again, why would he want to?

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"It should. I get the feeling that you're going to be just as great a knight as Link one day."

"Perfect. That's what I'm goin' for."

And they marched on, Mako's fears quelled though not extinguished entirely. He didn't expect them to, but at least he could be proud of what he had done. He couldn't let one small victory go to his head, however. Zant still stood in their way, and he wasn't going to go down easy.

Then again, that would be half the fun of fighting him.

* * *

_**"Really, bro? Shipping Agitha and Skull Kid? Would that work?" I dunno. That's for you to decide, but I could be doing worse things like...I don't know, making erotic fanart of the animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy's.**_

**_I'm not doing a good job hiding my fanboyism for Twilight Princess, am I?_**

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess


	10. Treasure of the Ancient Cistern

CHAPTER TEN

**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern**

It seemed that nightmares always had a way of creeping into Link's mind. He didn't know if it was the way he slept (he noticed that he always had nightmares if he slept on his back) or something he ate, but with this one in particular, he figured out it wasn't either of those fairly quickly.

He awoke in a very familiar room: the same chamber within the Temple of Souls that he and his group of warriors had found Lana. However, it was now back to the way it was when he saw it for the first time, with various portraits of him dotting the walls. A strange violet mist hung around him, though oddly complimented the blankets and drapes of the four-poster bed he lay in…

"Wait, what?!"

As he sat up, he heard a soft and sultry giggle echo through the room. He started to sweat and nearly panicked when he felt a warm hand lightly plant itself on his chest and ease him back down against his will. The hand worked its way to his cheek and steadily turned his head to the side so he could see its owner in plain view, confirming his suspicions much to his dread.

"Link…oh, it does my heart good to see you again, love."

"Cia?!"

This was no sour memory of what had happened in his previous quest. This was something else entirely. He rolled out of the bed in shock and skittered away until his back slammed against the wall. He searched around for an exit. There wasn't one. A window showing off the full moon in its majesty, certainly, but he doubted the glass would be breakable. No question about it. He was trapped.

Cia giggled again, obviously amused by Link's useless show of resistance before she swung her legs around and stood up. She took long and seductive strides toward him, knowing he couldn't get away from her no matter how hard he tried. Once she was close enough, she got down on all fours and stared directly into his eyes with a strange hypnotic gaze. The smile that stretched across her lips was sweet and innocent, but Link knew better than that by now.

"Did you miss me, darling?" she asked. "I can't tell you how much I've missed you."

He would have been able shake off the flirty talk if it was coming from someone like Veran, but with Cia, there was one huge problem: she was serious.

"What are you…how are you here?! You're supposed to be dead!"

"Well, you have yourself to thank for that, my dear little hero." the sorceress cooed. "I just couldn't stand facing an afterlife without you, and killing you and taking you with me was definitely out of the question for reasons I don't even need to list, so I figured I'd nestle inside your body. I don't mean to brag, but it was a pretty good idea on my part. You're just so warm…"

His skin crawled as her fingers brushed against his face, and though he found her touch very relaxing, he flinched and drew further away from her. Out came another laugh as Cia placed a hand on her cheek.

"Aw, you still know how to keep me amused." she said, trying and somewhat succeeding in looking adorable, not that it would have an effect on the still shocked Link.

"Your spirit is in my body?" he sputtered. "Why? I thought Lana…"

"You thought Lana 'talked some sense into me'? She did quell my quite frankly immature dislike of her, yes. How could I hate her when she really is my better half? …sweetie, you can stop trembling now. It's not like I'm gonna chew your face off or anything."

With her assurance, Link somehow found it in himself to calm down. Even when she took his hand and brought it up to her cheek, he felt soothed. Perhaps he was finally starting to appreciate her unique beauty or maybe she really was hypnotizing him.

Considering her track record of mannerisms and her overall nature as a temptress, he sincerely hoped it was the former.

"What do you want from me?" he finally asked.

"At the moment? Nothing. I'm content just being with you. And hey, you're on another epic quest, right? Haven't forgotten that I have all of Hyrule's past and future to look through and give you advice, have you?"

Actually he had. Now that she brought it up, he remembered how Cia had been able to fuse three other periods of time into theirs, making use of any resources she found in each era. Now that her spirit dwelled within him and was willing to work with him, she could indeed be very helpful. He didn't know where exactly she would be helpful, but at least he had that option.

"In the meantime, I think you've got a little bit of treasure to find. You need to be on your toes, honey."

She let out one last giggle before she pressed her face flat against his, making her eyes the only thing he could see as consciousness started to rush back into him.

"Not that I have any reason to doubt you."

* * *

Lana and Groose both jumped away when Link suddenly woke up with a frightened shout. Fi simply floated before him, keeping her eyes fixed on him and analyzing him by his facial expression, light muscle spasms, and heavy perspiration.

"Jeez, what got up your butt, man?" Groose asked as he scratched at the back of his head. "Nightmare?"

After he managed to suck in a few calm breathes, Link nodded and panted out "Like you wouldn't believe." He hauled himself to his feet and took a look around their current environment, remembering that they had stopped for the night about halfway between the Sealed Grounds and Lake Floria. Fi offered to keep watch while the other three slept, but Link had a suspicious feeling that she had just stared at him the entire night.

He didn't know if that was really charming or really creepy. He was leaning more toward the former since Fi likely didn't understand the concept of stalking, but…then again…

The dream snuck back into his mind and he cringed, quickly catching the attention of his allies before he pushed himself to his feet and set his gear into place.

"Well, no sense waiting around for Ghirahim to send his goons after us." Link said. "Let's get a move on."

They obeyed, Groose shaking off Link's nightmare in a matter of moments as did Fi when she confirmed that Link had re-entered a calm state of mind. Lana, however, wasn't as easily convinced. As they made their way down the dirt path through the beautiful forest, she sidled up to her sword-wielding companion and kept her voice low so that Groose and Fi wouldn't hear her.

"It was Cia, wasn't it?"

Link's vision shifted to Lana, and he felt the cold hands of despair gripping her the moment he looked into her eyes.

"I sensed it back at the Temple of Souls." she continued. "She's confined herself within you…she just can't bring herself to move on if it means being without you."

"I know." Link sighed. "She told me. She isn't going to do anything bad to me, though. In fact, she said she'd be willing to help if I need her to."

He thought that would be good news, but it seemed Lana wasn't as easily swayed. Link himself didn't completely believe Cia was there to help, but Lana appeared to reject the thought entirely as she shook her head.

"You know her better than that, Link. This is someone who tricked a dragon knight into serving her. You can't trust her just because she tells you, too."

"I know, but I still think she could be useful somehow. Besides, it's not like she can just, I dunno…take control of my body and parade me around like a puppet, right?"

Lana didn't know and certainly hoped not. She could breathe easy in knowing that Cia would never do anything to hurt Link (physically, anyway), and she couldn't argue with the benefits of her knowledge of Hyrule's past and future. She could tell Link felt a sort of sympathy toward Cia, and she couldn't deny her feeling the same thing. She remembered Cia steadily fading away in her arms and the last thing she said to her.

"You were always my better half…" Those final words that stuck in Lana's mind and nearly made her forgive her dark counterpart for the atrocities she had committed. But now wasn't the time for that, and Link was fully aware of that.

"Let's not worry about it for now." he said. "We've still gotta track down Ghirahim. Besides, if anything goes wrong, I've got you to turn to, right?"

Lana smiled. How did this boy know how to cheer her up so easily? She nodded.

"Yeah." she said as she casted her gaze forward. "Looks like we're here."

The four of them now stood at the mouth of a dark cavern, a dirtied set of marble stairs leading downward into what they were near certain was their destination. They took a moment to look at each other and draw their weapons, and without further delay, they jogged down the steps and let the ominous air about the temple take full form.

As they proceeded further downward, they were deposited into a massive circular room that glowed of architectural beauty. Various passages on the second floor led deeper into the temple, and a large statue depicting some sort of deity lay in the centre, a peaceful smile on its face and its hands in some sort of prayer position. Around the statue lay a ring of water, and as the four approached it, they made out a stairway leading further down to what seemed like a dead end.

A dead end that became exactly what they were looking for when Groose somehow tripped over his own feet and fell butt-first onto a peculiar tile on the ground. The tile sank an inch downward, and the standing three noticed a slab on the floor underwater slide away and uncover a metal grate. The water immediately began to lower, sinking further and further until the staircase was completely unveiled. With the water gone, the wall that marked the path as a dead end slid out of sight and uncovered another chamber, an sinister red-violet glow emanating from it.

"Well, that's not suspicious…" Lana said before turning to Groose with a grin. "Nice work, Groose."

"What can I say?" Groose grinned as Link helped him to his feet and he brushed himself off. "Even I get lucky sometimes, eh?"

The four took off down the stairs, skidding to a halt once they could take in the view of their new surroundings. The contrast between the upper floor and the basement of the Ancient Cistern was absolutely staggering. The first thing the four noticed was the lighting difference. It wasn't so dark that they couldn't see where they were going, but it was a mile and a half darker than the pristine floor above it. Secondly was what composed the basement. Apart from the craggy stones, there were several skull-shaped monuments, a vile purplish-red liquid dripping from their mouths and gathering into a river running to a pit on the other side of the massive room. There, one could make out various torture devices including several iron maidens dangling over the abyss.

"Uh…ooooooookaaaaaaay…." said Groose. "Not really sure whose idea it was to build a nice place like that over…well, this. And no, Fi. That's not a hint for you to go into some historic tirade about the joint."

"Master Groose, if I had the proper emotional capabilities, I believe this would be an instance where I would tell you to 'shut the hell up'."

"Alright, alright. Sheesh.

As the four took their first few steps into this repulsive place, various undead creatures started to claw their way from the earth and lurch toward them, their arms stretched out and their mouths hanging open loosely. Link led the charge with his blade at the ready, his three companions joining him closely behind. The creatures fell by blade, spell, bombs, and ballerina kick, and the heroes pushed forward as quickly as they could.

Then from all around them, they heard a familiar laugh.

"Just in time!" Ghirahim said with the same obnoxious confidence that irritated Link to no end. "Let's have us a little game of hide-and-seek, shall we?"

"We don't have time for this, you slime!" Link shouted, his voice pinging off the walls and unfortunately alerting even distant enemies to their presence.

"Oh, don't worry about it being too difficult for you. I'm quite patient. I can wait for as long as you need me to."

The ground continued to part for the reanimating monsters and the heroes kept on attacking as they came to a fork in the road. Splitting up was probably the last thing they'd want to do in enemy territory, especially one they had little knowledge of, but if they wanted to cover as much ground as possible in the least amount of time, they didn't really have much of a choice.

"Lana and Groose, you head that way!" Link said as he pointed in one direction. "Fi, you follow me!"

The group dispersed, the undead monsters giving chase in both directions. As Lana and Groose kept sprinting along, the latter didn't watch where he was stepping and trod in the vile red liquid. He wasn't sure if it was blood or just irregularly colored water, but he was sure of one thing: he was getting woozier every second he breathed in its foul stench.

"What in the…what's happening…here…" he groaned, his steps more sluggish and his breathing starting to get strained.

"Ghirahim really fortified this place with proper traps, didn't he?" Lana grumbled to herself before carefully hauling Groose to safety and muttering a brief incantation to restore tiny bits of his strength. "Pay attention, Groose. There's no telling what we're gonna find down here."

"No, there is. A buttload of stuff built to screw me over, that's what we'll find."

Groose nonetheless got to his feet and fired a trio of bombs to impede the monsters' progress while he and his blue-haired companion kept moving. Elsewhere, Link and Fi made their way down a slope, the former demonstrating brilliant athletic skill when he kicked off the closest wall to leap over a rather large pit. He landed right in front of a Stalfos readying its weapon, and Fi was quick to rush in and dispatch it. She looked around the room as she followed Link closely behind.

"Master," she spoke up. "Judging from the presence of Stalfos in this vicinity, there is a 75% chance we will encounter a Stalmaster. I recommend staying as alert as possible."

"Got it." said Link. "…Fi, can I ask you something?"

"Certainly, Master. Anything."

"You've probably noticed Cia by now, right?"

"I have. And you are wondering what the odds are that she will attempt to negatively affect you whether by body or spirit?"

Link nodded. He supposed he shouldn't have thought he could hide something from Fi. She understood him in a way no one else did, even if it was by design and not really that much care and sympathy. Then again, Fi could be rather unpredictable with how she handled things.

"At the present moment," Fi said. "Her chances of harming you are at around 10%. Her infatuation with you is no exaggeration, and from what I can understand, she has no ulterior motives. However, while that may not be a large number, I still recommend you be careful."

"Right. If I know her at all, she'll lose it and cut my head off at the drop of a rupee."

It was at that moment that the Stalmaster Fi had sensed dropped from the ceiling and drew its four blades, swinging them all at Link without giving him a second to counterattack. Link raised his shield, blocking the blow well enough though it forced him backward. He struck back with a series of slashes, each of which the Stalmaster deflected before it brought up its foot and kicked Link in the stomach.

Wasting no time, Fi swerved in and deflected the next swing with her heel. The Stalmaster retaliated with a spin attack, its four blades just barely missing Fi as she strafed backward.

"Master!" she called. "May I suggest a simultaneous attack?"

"Wouldn't hurt. Let's have at it!"

They lunged, the Stalmaster swinging two blades at each opponent. Link blocked the first pair while Fi strafed around the second, and as the Stalmaster pushed Link back and prepared to swing full force at Fi, that was when she shifted into sword form and embedded herself hard into the ground. The resulting shockwave threw the Stalmaster off-balance long enough for Link to deliver the final blow, running his sword hard across its excuse for a neck.

"Good moves." the knight said with a smile to his companion.

"I appreciate your praise, Master." Fi said, though it certainly didn't look that way. "Let us carry on. There is an 83% chance that Ghirahim is not much further ahead."

At that time, Lana and Groose finally found something curious: an opening on the ceiling with a single strand of what seemed to be webbing hanging down from it. They peered up the hole, unable to make anything out through the light. With no way of knowing what would be lying in wait for them up there other than possibly a flamboyant gray-skinned demon lord with an absurdly long tongue, they could either go back and regroup with Link and Fi (likely giving Ghirahim time to get away), or they could scale the thread and face whatever might have been up there (likely putting them in grave danger).

Lana lost her shot at actually making the decision when Groose started to tug on the thread, making sure it was stable before he clipped his launcher to his back and started climbing.

"Don't you think we should wait for Link and Fi?" Lana asked.

"No time. Let's go." Groose replied.

"Why are you going first?"

The look Groose gave her then was one of cheekiness and embarrassment, and Lana knew why the second he answered her. Needless to say, she was just as embarrassed.

"Because I'll probably wind up looking somewhere I shouldn't."

"Well, then. Point taken. Let's get a move on."

Lana seized the thread and began climbing after Groose, but once they had reached a fair height, the two of them began to feel additional weight steadily working its way up. As they looked downward, they saw a most distressing sight: several of the undead monsters had appeared from the ground and were now making their way up the thread after them.

"These guys just don't give up!" Groose shouted, jostling his bomb launcher into a free hand and firing, aiming carefully so he wouldn't hit Lana.

"Don't bother trying to knock them down!" Lana called up after him. "They'll catch up and drag us off if we stop!"

And so Groose placed his launcher back on his belt and he and Lana started climbing as fast as they could. So did the undead monsters, and Lana could already feel them nipping at her feet as she and Groose were reaching their destination. She could swear she even felt one of the bony hands brush against her foot as it made a grab at her. One startled kick was all Lana needed to send the monster falling away from her, but the sudden shift in weight also forced the thread to swing uncontrollably.

"Jeez, and I thought I was the reckless one here!" Groose called, tightening his grip to the point of his knuckles turning white.

As they swung wildly, Lana and Groose stuck out their feet as they neared the wall, kicking off with just enough force to jostle the lower area of the thread and send the majority of the undead monsters falling off. They began inching their way upward again once they were able to get the thread at least somewhat still, Lana casting one final lightning spell to clear away the last of their opposition…

…right as she caught a whiff of a very unpleasant aroma. She shot a dirty look up at Groose.

"Did you just…" she started.

"Uhhh, heh heh." Groose nervously chuckled, using his free hand to scratch at the back of his head. "Yeah, um…sorry."

"Oh, for Din's sake, Groose!"

They kept climbing, Lana trying her best to shut out Groose's flatulence by the time they made it to the top. The room they had entered bore a small resemblance the lovely first floor of the temple, golden pillars set up in a circle and contrasting beautifully against the red walls. The issue was that they didn't see what they were looking for.

But he certainly saw them, proven when he materialized a few feet from them. He flipped the fringe of his hair as he spun around to greet them.

"Ah, good!" he said. "I was hoping I'd get a little playtime with the two of you first!"

Whatever tactics Lana had cooked up were wasted when Groose raised his launcher.

"Then let's play, pal!" he shouted.

The bomb simply struck empty air as the demon lord teleported away, a light chuckle echoing throughout the room. Suddenly, he reappeared to one side, striking a pose and emitting a passionate and theatrical cry. Lana cast a spell and missed yet again, only for Ghirahim to appear yet again elsewhere in a different pose, his lips apart and his arm stretched out as if asking Lana to dance. Lana released yet another spell, and once again, Ghirahim vanished.

"For goodness sake, just stand still!" the sorceress growled.

In preparation for the demon lord's next possible attack, Lana and Groose stood back to back and held their weapons at the ready. They observed every possible nook and cranny in the chamber, flinching when they heard him chuckling again. By now, he knew he was simply out to scare them. He didn't consider the possibility that he was wasting his time since by now, Link and Fi had found the thread and were ready to start climbing.

Then Ghirahim reappeared a ways away from Groose, forcing him to launch another bomb and take a step forward. Ghirahim disappeared again, this time reappearing unnervingly close to Lana. He saw her startled expression and smiled before flicking his tongue out.

"Boo!" he said.

One shriek from Lana as she leapt backward sent the demon lord into a fit of maniacal laughter. Groose promptly spun around and swung his launcher at Ghirahim's head, and it was then the demon lord decided it would be a better idea to stand and fight as he snapped his fingers and drew a black blade from thin air. He blocked the heavy weapon and pushed its user back far enough to retaliate with a barrage of slashes. To his dismay, Lana conjured a barrier in front of Groose that deflected each blow.

"A fair duo." Ghirahim sneered. "Just what I needed."

"Looks like you're about to get more than you bargained for." Lana panted before turning to the hole she and Groose had climbed from. "Link! Fi! Hurry!"

Ghirahim scowled when he heard Link call back that he was on his way.

"No, no, we can't have any of that."

With another snap of his fingers, dozens of Bokoblins materialized in the room. Ghirahim directed them toward the hole, and without hesitation, each of them jumped single file down to the lower floor.

"Stop them at any cost!" he shouted. "Come back victorious or don't come back at all!"

"Yeah, that's a good way to motivate your cronies…" Groose scoffed. "I mean, sure. I was a jerk back in the day and had a couple cronies, but I'd like to think their lives mattered at least to me a little bit."

"Then it's a clear sign you lack authority in every aspect. Pitiful, I must say. Almost as pitiful as that atrocious haircut if I'm being honest."

"Alright, buddy boy! Now I'm angry!"

Ghirahim smirked as Groose came at him yet again, strafing about the bombs and parrying the launcher as Groose swung it hard at him. Lana broke into a sprint, casting her hand forward and generating three translucent barriers. With a thrust of her hand, she cast them toward Ghirahim at high speed.

Ghirahim himself slammed his hand against the ground, producing a large shockwave that shattered the barriers, and as Lana stumbled backward as her spell backfired, Ghirahim conjured a series of black diamonds that he then cast toward her.

"He just isn't giving me a break here…" Lana panted as she vaulted out of the way, letting out a single cry of pain when one of the diamonds nicked her shoulder.

Ghirahim spun around in time to spot Groose lining up another shot at him, blocking the second the Skyloftian fired it but failing to realize that it was aimed at his feet. The explosion threw Ghirahim off balance long enough for Groose to rush forward with his free hand clenched hard.

"Who's pitiful now, sucker?!" he shouted as he struck Ghirahim hard under the chin.

Though Ghirahim showed a substantial level of pain when Groose's fist struck him, he recovered fairly quickly in mid-air, conjuring a strange platform at his feet and surging downward with tremendous force. Lana thankfully saw this ahead of time and conjured another barrier on her hand, and with Groose cupping his hands to give her a boost, the youthful sorceress shot upward and slammed the barrier hard against Ghirahim's feet.

The deafening explosion as the two magical forces disintegrated was painful enough before both Lana and Ghirahim were sent surging in opposite directions. Groose acted quickly enough to catch the falling Lana while Ghirahim was slammed hard against the ceiling. He hit the ground utterly dazed, but when he managed to push himself to his feet, the sheer anger in his face was indescribable.

"You know…it just occurred to me that perhaps I've been playing around with you two a tad too long." he growled, his voice steadily rising in both volume and manic energy. "I think it might be time that I rip you both limb from limb and BATHE IN YOUR BLOOD!"

And he rushed forward, his eyes full of pure murderous intent. He went for Lana first, dodging her lightning strikes and seizing her by the neck. He clenched hard, revelling in her starting rasp and thrash about in a vain attempt to escape. He could hear Groose rearing his launcher from behind him, and he raised his sword to block and disarm him. Without even looking, Ghirahim delivered a strong slash to Groose's thigh. The young Skyloftian let out a single cry of pain as his leg crumpled, furious at the demon lord's casual disregard for him as he continued to strangle Lana.

Satisfied with nearly choking Lana into unconsciousness, Ghirahim slammed her against the floor. Lana shook off enough of her dazed state to slam her electrically charged hand against Ghirahim's chest, forcing him far enough away from her to push herself to her feet and ready another more powerful attack. Groose seized Ghirahim from behind, hoping he was strong enough to hold the demon lord in place long enough for Lana to finish her attack.

He wasn't. Ghirahim broke loose in seconds, seized Groose's hands, and flipped him over onto the ground. Groose's head bounced against the floor and gave him enough of a daze to keep him from getting up. Lana in turn hadn't built her attack up enough before Ghirahim charged her again, kicking her hard in the stomach and pinning her against the nearby wall with his blade poised to impale.

"And I suppose waiting for your beloved hero was out of the question?" Ghirahim asked.

He became disgusted when Lana simply grinned.

"Perhaps, but what would you say to me just buying time for him?"

Ghirahim reacted to the sudden battle cry too late and shrieked when Link's sword cleaved his back. This gave Lana just enough time to slip away from the maniacal fiend and sidle up to Link.

"Are you okay?" he asked, visually inspecting her for any serious injuries.

"I'm fine." she panted. "Groose took it worse."

Groose himself pulled himself to his feet with Fi's assistance, and though his head was still lightly spinning and the gash on his leg was still bleeding, he managed a shrug and a goofy grin.

"Nah, I'm fine." he called. "It's my pride that's hurts the most."

If anyone's pride was hurt more than Groose's, it was most certainly Ghirahim's. He was already disgusted by the fact that he couldn't take down a little girl and a lumbering brute with a bad haircut, but now he was outright furious that not a single one of his minions had left a scratch on the young hero.

"This is outrageous! Despicable! Absolutely revolting!" he bellowed. "Can't you lot give me a few moments to enjoy myself?! Honestly! Is that too much to ask?!"

Link's answer was point his blade at him menacingly, the fiery look in his eyes somehow managing to spark fear within the demon lord. When Link's three companions grew the same fiery look, Ghirahim steadily realized that it may be in his best interest to retreat for the time being.

"Ah, fine." he growled to himself. "I was looking for an excuse to bring this fellow out for a spin, anyway…"

Regaining his pompous air of confidence, Ghirahim sighed and flipped the fringe of his hair yet again. He chuckled under his breath, immediately clueing Link and the others in to something else at hand.

"What's so funny?" Link demanded.

"A fair question, boy." Ghirahim said, lower his gaze as his evil grin stretched. "If it would suit you, I'd like to try a little experiment. Sadly, I can't be around to witness the results, but I suppose you'll know where I'll be in the off chance you get out of it alive."

"Okay, let's just stop for a second. How many times now have people said that to me or any of my friends? Counting this time, probably something like seven or eight if Impa and Zelda are going through the same thing. And lo and behold, how many times have those 'off chances' turned out to be in our favour? Every. Bloody. Time."

"And your point is…?"

"My point is you think by now people like you and every other low-grade villain we've come across would get the idea that my friends and I aren't pushovers. We know how to fight and kill giant monsters, so if I can just play the role of Fi here for a second, do you wanna know what our chances of getting out of this alive are? Pretty damn close to 100%."

"Prove it, then. In the meantime, ta-ta."

And Ghirahim was gone in a flash of light, leaving Groose to pat Link on the shoulder.

"To be fair, I found that kinda inspiring, so…yeah. Good on you…so what exactly did he do?"

A fair question, and Link had a general idea of who to ask.

"Fi, was there some kind of giant monster your original master fought in this place?"

"Affirmative." Fi replied. "Koloktos. An ancient automaton built to protect these sacred grounds. And it appears to have joined us."

Exactly as Fi had said, the golden pillars dotting the room suddenly broke into several smaller pieces and all began to mesh together in the center of the room, all joined together by some sort of dark energy. The pieces then took form; six arm and a long neck attached to a bulky torso, a strange grinning face at the top and a strange glowing orb in the very center of its torso.

As Koloktos took notice of the four heroes, two arms brandished throwing axes while two more did the wise thing and covered the orb, which the heroes could only assume was its weak point. As it covered the spot, however, Lana took notice of something within it.

"He's got the Goddess Harp!" she shouted.

"Then I guess the guardian's ready for retirement." said Link. "We're taking him down! Spread out and try to expose his weak spot!"

The four dashed in different directions, Koloktos swinging its two free hands at Link, who backflipped out of the way. He didn't bother using his sword. He kept moving, rolling forward as the golden behemoth swung one of its two axes at him and the other at Lana. Lana herself effortlessly blocked it with a conjured barrier, shaking off the strains Ghirahim had given her and running around as fast as she could to find an opening.

Fi and Groose did the same, Fi already estimating that their weapons (counting herself) wouldn't be nearly enough to harm Koloktos, but as she strafed around one of the throwing axes, she pooled together a strategy. She surged closer to the mechanoid's head, causing it to swat at her numerous times with its unarmed hands before it finally threw one axe at her. With a sharp kick, she sent it down to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Master Groose." she called.

"Way ahead of ya, Fi!" the Skyloftian called.

Groose tossed his launcher off to the side and scooped up the axe, and as Koloktos raised its free hand, he saw his chance. He held the heavy axe before him and spun around as fast as he could, throwing it when he was sure he had enough momentum. A direct hit! One of Koloktos's arms fell away as the axe sliced through the joint, and if Koloktos itself could look enraged, it likely would. Groose cut his showy victory dance short when he saw Koloktos raising its other axe hand.

"Oh, that's not good…" he panicked, breaking into a run.

Lana was ready to return the favour for all the saves Groose had done, as she jumped between him and the axe and conjured a barrier. The impact slid her back and out of harm's reach, and once she had recovered, she looked over her shoulder.

"Link! Now!"

With a mighty leap, Link flipped several times in mid-air as he soared over Koloktos' remaining axe arm. In one swift motion, he pulled his Hookshot from his pocket and launched the chain. As it extended, he seized it and swung it so it wrapped firmly around the shaft of the axe.

"Don't mind if I take this, do you?!" he shouted.

And with a strong pull combined with his forward momentum, Link yanked the axe clean from Koloktos's hand. The second he landed, he spun in the same manner as Groose and let the axe fly, and just like with Groose, one of Koloktos' arms was sliced clean off.

"Okay!" Lana shouted. "Now go for the arms blocking his weak spot!"

Link and Groose heaved each axe high above their heads and charged, strafing around Koloktos's hands as it fruitlessly tried to swat them away. And thus, with a mighty swing, the Hylian and Skyloftian severed the protecting arms and left the orb wide open. Lana saw her chance and let fly with a bolt of lightning, and when it struck, dark energy pulsed violently from every part of Koloktos's body before it suddenly fell limp.

Link and Groose each let out a sigh of relief and began walking toward each other to share a high-five for a job well done, but Link stopped in place.

"That was way too easy…" he muttered to himself. "Aaaaaaaaand there he goes. Me and my big fat mouth."

Just as Link had said, Koloktos had reformed its six arms, but the real surprise came when the axes vanished and a gate slid down over its weak spot. The golden monster's face shifted into a perpetual frown, and accompanying that frown was an enraged and metallic cry. But the worst was yet to come. It planted its six hands against the ground, and with a mighty heave, it pulled itself from its stationary position and revealed short but clearly functional legs. Finally, with a wave of its arms, it brandished six massive swords and pointed them all at its tiny competition.

Groose perhaps put it best at that moment.

"For the record," he spoke up. "…I think I just wet myself."

"Alert." Fi blared. "I detect a 61% increase in strength and a 34% increase in durability. Extreme caution is advised."

"Yeah, I think we could figure that out from the LEGS AND THE SIX GIANT SWORDS!"

Koloktos swung three of its blades, all of them just barely missing as the four heroes spread out again.

"Fi!" Link called. "Same strategy as before?"

"Affirmative." Fi responded. "Though I estimate that will be much easier said than done."

"That figures. Only one thing for it."

Link spun on his heel and charged right toward Koloktos, throwing his shield off to the side since blocking one of the swords with it would be a total miracle. He was aware of how much danger this was putting him in, but at this point, he was willing to try anything to take this thing down. As he predicted, Koloktos swung its closest three swords down at him, and he in turn vaulted out of the way just in time. As such, the swords buried themselves into the ground, Koloktos growling and starting to heave its blades out of the ground.

"Gotta make this quick." Link said to himself as he whipped out his Hookshot yet again.

In the split second Koloktos managed to lift one sword out of the ground, Link wound the Hookshot's chain around the blade and pulled as hard as he could. There were many times when Link damned his own recklessness, and this was one of those times. Though he put in as much strength as he possibly could, he was simply no match for Koloktos. He held on to his Hookshot until he could swear his knuckles were starting to bleed, but Koloktos was already starting to drag him away.

"The Groose is loose, baby!" Groose shouted as he slid under one of Koloktos's other swords on his way to Link's aid.

With Groose's added strength, he and Link pulled as hard as they could, surprising themselves when they managed to stumble the giant and wrench the sword free.

"Now we're in business!" Link cheered. "Thanks for the hand, Groose!"

"Don't get too excited, pal! It's on now!"

Now with the ability to properly duel Koloktos, Link and Groose did just that, putting their combined strength into every swing they made. The golden mechanoid slashed with its remaining five swords, not really aiming to slay the two young men before it but rather disarm them and reclaim its sixth weapon. Link and Groose resisted to the best of their ability, blocking and parrying wherever necessary despite how much of a toll it took on them.

They thanked the goddesses above when Lana jumped in to handle some of the blocking for them with her barriers, though had Fi not shifted into her sword form and blocked the other set of baldes, it was very likely things wouldn't have ended well for any of them.

"Link! Groose!" Lana shouted. "Take out his legs!"

Link and Groose tightened their grip on the handle before they swung the sword with all their might at Koloktos's legs. Once the blade made contact, both legs shattered into pieces and Koloktos itself collapsed face first onto the floor. It pushed up to a sitting position once again, only to reel back toward the far wall.

"Oh, you're trying to run away now, is that it?!" Groose shouted after it. "Ain't nowhere to run, buddy! Your goose is gettin' cooked by the Groose!"

"You do realize you're shouting directly into my ear, right?" Link said in a disgruntled tone.

Mocking the golden behemoth turned out to be a bad idea on Groose's part for two reasons. Firstly because his mocking fell on no ears (other than Link's, of course), and secondly because Koloktos was already winding up its most burly attack. Out of nowhere, it came at the four heroes at lightning speed, spinning like a top with its blades outstretched and ready to shred anything that got in the way.

"Uhhh…" Groose started. "W-we can block that, right?!"

"Calculations complete." said Fi. "22% chance of blocking and/or parrying incoming attack if the appropriate maneuver is applied."

"Yep. We're dead."

"Which is why I recommend all four of us striking at the same time. Such a maneuver will increase our rate of survival by approximately 25%."

"NOBODY SAID THERE'D BY MATH!"

Nevertheless, they prepared their strikes as Koloktos quickly closed the distance. They put all their might into their attack and prayed for the best, surprising themselves when they struck solid metal. Koloktos went skidding backward, slammed against the wall, and if it could sit there and looked shocked, it probably would.

"…well, that just happened." Link said with a grin. "Alright! Let's wrap this up!"

Link and Groose rushed forward with the sword held high, and as Koloktos saw them charge, it processed very quickly that their chances of terminating it were steadily rising the longer it didn't do anything to stop them. Thus, it raised its blades and swung them down, but Lana remained as light on her feet as ever and conjured several barriers around Link and Groose as they finally closed the distance and delivered the coup-de-grace to Koloktos's chest. Each slash dented the grate more and more, and Koloktos began slashing evermore furiously in fruitless attempts to stop its opposition.

"Hurry, you two!" Lana called as she started to strain her face. "I can't hold him back much longer!"

Link and Groose both let up a loud cry of war, and with one last swing of the blade, the grate splintered in half and left Koloktos's weak spot wide open.

"Fi!" Link hollered. "FINISH HIM!"

And Fi flew forward, making full eye contact with Koloktos as she did so.

"Your chance of survival has just dropped to 0%." she said as she shifted into sword form. "As such, I bid you farewell."

She blasted forward and buried herself up to her hilt into Koloktos's chest. All at once, the dark energy flowed out of Koloktos's body like blood from a particularly nasty cut, and as Fi pulled backward and shifted back to normal, the golden monster began thrashing about. Perhaps it was making a last ditch attempt to take its opponents down, but either way, it couldn't stop itself from seizing up and finally falling apart in a mess of golden armour. Flying out of the mess came the Goddess Harp, which Link promptly caught.

Their victory welled up inside them, and Link, Lana, and Groose gave each other a grin and a group high-five. Even Fi touched her arm to their hands in her own special display of triumph.

"I must admit," she said. "That was quite an intriguing experience."

Link looked down at the magnificent harp in his hands, and for whatever reason, he raised it to its playing position and plucked a few notes. Lana and Groose listened intently, though wondered why he was casually playing music in this circumstance. Nevertheless, the song brought warmth to them as they let it ring through their ears. Once Link was finished, he smiled at it again before cradling it in the crook of his right arm.

"Nice tune." said Groose. "You make that up on the spot?"

Link shook his head as his smile grew brighter. No. It was a song a dear friend had taught to him, and it had in turn been a song her friend taught to her. He let Zelda's Lullaby ring in his mind for a few moments longer, letting it soothe him after all the sweat and energy he'd spent in the previous fight had rematerialized in the form of slight fatigue.

But as it rang longer, he felt a familiar dark presence and a light pinching in his chest. He grunted and nearly brought his hadn't up to clutch at the spot, but noticed Lana growing the same look of concern he'd seen her with before they had entered the temple.

"Cia's not there to hurt me?" he wondered. Somehow judging from the pains he felt whenever he thought of Zelda, he imagined it to be a dirty lie from a woman that was sadly no stranger to pure wickedness.

But Cia was not his concern now. She wasn't any of their concern. Their concern was the mission, and with the harp now in their possession, the mission was drawing to a close.

"Okay, everyone. Let's wrap this little escapade up. We make for the Thunderhead…Groose, what are you doing?"

"What?!" Groose said as he dropped one of the several pieces of Koloktos's remains. "You got any idea how many rupees this stuff might go for?!"

* * *

**_I really gotta learn how to make these chapters shorter. _**

**_So as I spent a bajillion years getting this chapter done, a 3DS port of Hyrule Warriors was announced. Its title? Hyrule Warriors Legends...oops. But on the bright side, Tetra and King Daphnes from Wind Waker. Hell yeah!_**

**_I feel it's important to note that there will be some Wind Waker characters later on in the story, but these two will not be among them simply because I have no idea how to write them in and make them at least somewhat relevant. I've already got the majority of characters figured out as well as the main plot, so adding more is just going to make it more convoluted. I mean, hell, I've still got those four guest characters on the way. I don't wanna give Tetra more spotlight than Luciiiiiiiiiiiiiin-HEY, WHAT'S THAT?!_**

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword


	11. Siege of the Spirit Temple

CHAPTER ELEVEN

**Siege of the Spirit Temple**

As if even getting to where Kotake and Koume were supposedly hiding wasn't hard enough what with going through the Haunted Wasteland and all, Impa's band of warriors were quick to see that the Spirit Temple was far more of a fortified compound than they had hoped for. Not necessarily at the entrance, but the moment the group stepped inside, the entrance sealed behind them.

Then the traps went off. Stationary jars suddenly rose a few feet from the ground and flew toward the unsuspecting heroes, Saria generating a gust with her spear and blowing them all to the ceiling. As they took a few steps forward, slots on the walls opened, and out flew sets of sliding blades. Had Impa, Shanya, and Darunia not both used their heavy weaponry to send them skittering off into the nearby corner and sit motionless, it was very likely they all would have had their legs sliced clean off.

"Well, I'll give those old bags one thing." Nabooru said with a smirk. "They know how to rig a joint up."

"You don't think they'll have a ton of monsters waiting for us, do you?" Saria asked.

"I doubt it. My tribe and I do routine checks here to make sure there's no ugly son of a gun trying to build a nest. The most they'll have with them are a couple of those Stalfos things and…a really big shadow, apparently. The hell?"

The group had just barely spotted what Nabooru had pointed out, creeping around the corner and shifting between the cracks of the northern door. They all had their suspicions, but Impa was the one most affected by it due to it seeming far too familiar to her. Not that she had ever seen such a thing herself, but she had most certainly heard of an eldritch creature that was capable of slipping away like a shadow.

"Let's move." she said, keeping a firm grip on her sword's handle.

They dashed forward, the magnificent chandelier above them releasing itself from the ceiling and meeting the receiving end of Darunia's hammer. With a telekinetic heave, Shanya wrenched the massive door open, and that was when Nabooru's estimate regarding the amount of monsters was completely disregarded. Several Stalfos and ReDeads came spilling through the doorway toward the group, along with the Iron Knuckle commanding them.

The situation became ever more curious when as quickly as they appeared, the monsters faded away into mere shadows as soon as the heroes prepped their weapons. They stood wondering what had happened before they heard a deep growling not far from their position. They gripped their weapons tighter, wondering just what other enchantments the Twinrova had put on this sacred place as they dashed further down the halls.

As they entered the next room, what further impeded their progress? Half a dozen lasers as the Beamos stationed at the far wall began firing upon them. The six delved toward cover as quickly as they could, the beams barely missing each of them. The second the heroes were out of view, the weaponized statues continued to visually scour the room, waiting for any sign of movement.

Impa in turn visually scoured the room until Nabooru gave her a nudge with her elbow and pointed her in the direction of a particular spot on the eastern wall. Fixated above the doorway was a strange crest, and at the very center of that crest was a large shield. A large shield that gleamed like a mirror. A perfect tool for this predicament, but Impa would need to act fast to retrieve it.

Impa caught Saria's attention and dictated her idea solely with simple visual cues. Saria nodded, and once Impa was sure she had a split second of a head-start, she dashed toward the wall. The Beamos regained their target and promptly fired, but as Saria generated a gust that launched Impa high into the air, they calculated a very low percentage of them stopping her. They were right: Impa seized the Mirror Shield and vaulted off the wall, landing directly in front of the Beamos as they redirected their beams toward her. In response, the Sheikah warrior smirked

"That's the trouble with machines." she said triumphantly as she took a defensive position and raised her new piece of equipment. "They're far too predictable."

The beams struck the shield's surface and immediately ricocheted back onto their firers, boring through them and short-circuiting them in a fraction of a second. Impa fixed the shield onto her back as her comrades came out from behind cover, each giving her smiles of approval. They proceeded toward the next door when…

"Do you hear that?" said Ruto.

They listened. A strange rushing sound echoed through the room, similar to the sound they had heard before but higher pitched and within a much closer proximity. They visually scoured the room before taking special notice of one particular oddity, and that was the shadow growing around Ruto's feet.

"What in the SWEET NAYRU!"

Those few seconds of entrancement was all the Wallmaster needed for it drop from the ceiling and seize Ruto by the head. The Zora princess thrashed and screamed as the giant disembodied hand started to drag her upward, though Shanya remained as light on her feet as ever. She telekinetically seized the Wallmaster and strained her face as she pried its fingers apart, letting Ruto drop safely into Darunia's arms. With her ally secure, Shanya then slammed the monster against the ground and buried her blade right through it.

"W-well, then." Ruto stammered as Darunia put her back on her feet. "Keep your wits about you, everyone."

"Y'know, princess, you might actually be a bit more prepared for stuff like that if you didn't have your lackeys carry you everywhere." Nabooru said with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously, it's a wonder your legs don't give out with how little you use them."

With Ruto cursing Nabooru under her breath, the group continued on into the next massive chamber. Against the far wall was a withered statue with its hands raised in front of it. Though it seemed to represent a very beautiful woman (a goddess by the looks of it), there was no indication as to who it was supposed to be. That, and the group of heroes got a strange feeling looking at it. An ominous feeling, in fact.

"She doesn't look like any goddess I've ever seen." said Darunia. "In murals, anyway. Not saying I've actually seen a goddess."

"Probably because she's a goddess only the Gerudo really have knowledge of." said Nabooru. "We call her the sand goddess."

"That's it? Not very creative, if you ask me. Anything else?"

"There's a list of rules in our tribe, and the first two are that we don't talk about the sand goddess under any circumstances, and we especially don't use her name."

"The first TWO rules? Why a repeat?"

"Emphasis."

Then Impa noticed Shanya looking upward at the statue's face. The Sheikah kept her eyes on her strange companion for several moments, noticing her bite her lip. Perhaps Shanya was appreciating the admittedly well-built architecture, or maybe…just maybe she was hiding something. When she moved to speak to her, however, the whole room was flushed into darkness. Not necessarily proper darkness, but more as if shadows had devoured the heroes' surroundings.

"Oh, great." Darunia sighed. "Another trap? And now the floor's shaking? What in Din's name is wrong with this place?!"

As they paid further attention, they noticed that the floor was indeed shaking, but it did so in a specific rhythm. Impa's suspicions by now had been confirmed, particularly when the monster inducing the darkness faded into view. It took the shape of a muscular black body hanging from the ceiling, a red glowing eye where its head should have been. Most peculiar were that despite the stumps at the end of its arms, the creature still had two hands, but they floated just beyond its wrists, and they could now see that it was slamming its hands against the ground as if it was a drum.

The creature caught sight of Impa and snarled, its eye pulsating at a more rapid rate. Impa herself wasn't impressed and took up a ready stance.

"I do not fear you, demon!" she yelled, pointing her sword at the shadow in an intense show of challenge. "And I promise you that I will not falter against you as my ancestor did!

A strange sound that sounded like a derisive laugh rang through the air, and without any hesitation, Bongo Bongo promptly faded from sight like the apparition it was.

"He's here somewhere!" Impa shouted. "Keep your wits about you!"

From its unseen position, Bongo Bongo began to beat its hands against the ground, and each of the heroes had to listen carefully and pay attention to anywhere the air seemed to part just to have any idea where the horrid creature might be. Luckily, one of them was ready to redeem herself for her blunder a few minutes ago.

"You think you can hide from us, huh?" Ruto muttered to herself. "Try this on for size, big boy…"

With hard swings of her arms, Ruto cast forth mighty waves of seawater until they struck something invisible, yet solid. The first solid object, which turned out to be Bongo Bongo's left hand jetted forward and made a grab at the Zora princess, though Darunia was quick to rush in and hold the spirit's grip apart with his own sheer strength.

"Nice moves, sister!" the Goron chieftain hollered. "Just remember to stay on the evasive, too!"

With Shanya's telekinesis taking some of the strain off, Darunia was able to break away from Bongo Bongo's invisible grip and slam his hammer down on the hand as hard as he could. The abomination shrieked and its torso became visible for a fraction of a second. By the time Impa had lunged at it with her sword raised high, it was already gone.

"He's quick, I'll give him that." she growled, flipping backward when she sensed her opponent's other hand trying to close in on her.

From somewhere in the darkness came a horrid roar, and Bongo Bongo slammed its other hand against the ground as hard as it could. Everyone was thrown off balance, and as they made their recovery, Ruto began casting waves again. To her confusion, they struck absolutely nothing.

"Did he bail or something?" she wondered. "I can't find him anywhere…and what in the world is that noise?!"

It was at this time that they heard some sort of strange hissing sound. With the shadows still surrounding them, they couldn't make out exactly where it was coming from, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what Bongo Bongo was trying to do. Luckily, Impa had one thing the spirit wasn't counting on as she pressed her fingers to her temples.

"You're here somewhere…you can't hide from me."

Her vision flashed red and pierced through the shadows. She could hear the unhearable like her comrades' heartbeats, and she could most certainly see the unseeable as she turned her attention toward the ceiling high above. There was Bongo Bongo, a buildup of energy emanating from its eye. She needed to move quickly, and it seemed Saria was way ahead of her as she took notice of the Sheikah's interested in the spot on the ceiling.

"Need a boost?" the Kokiri asked.

"Several," said Impa. "But a nice gust would be a proper place to start."

Saria nodded and began the tag combo with a whirlwind that launched Impa a fair distance.

"Darunia!" Saria called.

"Gotcha!" the Goron chief shouted back as he threw his hammer with as much force as he could muster.

Impa kicked off the hammer's head and launched herself even higher. One more boost was all she needed, and Shanya was ready to supply it as she threw her scythe. The Sheikah kicked herself off the weapon and closed the distance between herself and Bongo Bongo, driving her foot as hard as she could against the monster's head (or rather what passed for it). It shrieked and crashed to the ground where Nabooru was waiting, planting both her swords up to the hilt in its eye. The dark creature shrieked again, banging its hands wildly and uncontrollably against the floor in one speedy drumming solo before it ceased moving altogether and faded away into nothing.

The heroes took those few moments of silence to catch their breathes and give each other triumphant smiles…until Ruto decided to play the part of the buzzkill.

"Not to sound like I'm gloating or anything, but that was way too easy…"

Then came two familiar ear-splitting cackles as the shadows vanished. The heroes watched as two portals, one blue, and one red, conjured before them, and from them rose Kotake and Koume.

"So you all came to die, then?" said Kotake. "How delightful."

"We aren't interested in fighting with two!" Ruto hollered.  
"Oh, we know. You're here for this filthy thing, right?"

Koume held up a palm-sized orb adorned with Din's emblem. Impa groaned in disgust. In hindsight, she should have expected something like this happening what with her kind of luck, but it hardly mattered now.

"So the two of you really think you'll be able to stand against us and survive, do ya?" Darunia said with a cocky grin, anchoring his hammer on his shoulder. "In all honesty, I'd love to see you try."

"I'd tell you to have respect for your elders, Goron," muttered Koume. "But I doubt any proper manners would stick in that thick skull of yours."

"I'll show you 'thick skull'!"

Nabooru scraped her swords together and shot the two witches a sly grin. The witches themselves sneered.

"The same goes for you, Nabooru." said Kotake. "You of all people."

"The hell it does." said Nabooru. "And I don't know if you old bags noticed, but you're kinda outnumbered….and I just screwed us all over, didn't I?"

She had indeed. With a wave of their hands, the witches summoned a legion of Dinolfos, all with moderate-sized battle axes to cleave their opponents with.

"And just so we can make the battle a wee bit more interesting…" cackled Koume.

The witches mounted their brooms and began circling in the air. Fire and ice conjured around them as they picked up speed, the wind starting to rush and nearly deafen the heroes. So too did the shout the witches let out as they seized each other's hands.

"KOTAKE AND KOUME'S DOUBLE DYNAMITE ATTACK!"

A number of the heroes rolling their eyes at the women who were about three months away from going senile, but what they couldn't roll their eyes at was what happened next. A blinding flash of red and blue light enveloped the two witches and practically blinded the heroes, and when the light faded, it was as if the elderly fiends had never been there at all.

In their place was a towering and somewhat curvaceous woman with two ponytails, one of fire and one of ice. The brooms Kotake and Koume had ridden on were now scepters in her hands as she floated high above them without any form of assistance. While she did appear a little more glamorous than what she had come from, she wasn't the pinnacle of beauty, either, but it seemed she hardly noticed.

"Ah, it feels good to look all young and gorgeous." Twinrova cackled, striking a pose that didn't really suit her as much as she thought it did. "Ladies, eat your hearts out!"

Ruto and Nabooru took one look at each other and rolled their eyes.

"But now that we've played around long enough, I think it's time we let the real games begin." Twinrova said, casting her arm forward. "Have at them, boys!"

The Dinolfos let up a collective roar and charged, Shanya and the four Sages rushing to duel them while Impa continued to glare at the sorceress floating above her. Twinrova caught sight of her and smiled.

"And I suppose you're volunteering to be the main course?"

Impa drew her blade and vaulted herself toward her enemy. Twinrova scoffed, crossed her scepters in front of her, and blocked the blow with all her force.

"I thought you'd hit a little harder than that with that monster of a sword." she sighed, though clearly amused at Impa's show of defiance and anger. "I'll be honest, Sheikah. I'm disappointed."

"Silence, you fiend!" Impa bellowed, swinging harder until finally leaping back when she determined that Twinrova's defenses weren't going to crumble so easily.

As they duelled with Twinrova launching blasts of fire and ice at Impa and Impa herself leaping all about the room in both evasion and investigation. For a woman that had been birthed from the fusion of two old crones, Twinrova was ridiculously fast. As the witch blasted a sphere of fire straight at Impa, the Sheikah swung at it hard with the intention of knocking it straight back at her. It had worked before, and if that was the case, then it could prove to be a feasible edge.

So one could imagine how surprised Impa was when the flame instead struck her blade and superheated it, forcing her to cry out in pain and drop it with a clatter.

"Oh, you thought that would work, did you?" Twinrova giggled. "You're really too entertaining for your own good."

Impa shook off the mockery and hoisted her blade up once she was sure it was safe to touch again. So dead man's volley wasn't a feasible offensive here. But then what would be? Impa kept leaping and slashing at the still-floating witch, who continued to casts blasts of fire and ice. When the spheres struck, they either formed a small pool of magma or a patch of ice. More hazards for Impa to watch out for until she jostled the Mirror Shield still clipped to her back.

"I wonder…" she thought. "…well, stranger things have happened."

Twinrova cast another spell Impa's way, surprised when she took up a defensive stance and shifted the Mirror Shield onto her arm. The surprise intensified when the blast struck the shield, but rather than immediately reflect, it looked like it had been directly absorbed by the shield's surface.

"Oh, blast it all, not that thing again." the witch growled to herself, remembering the Hero of Time having used it against her to great effect. "Might have to mix things up a bit."

Indeed she did. She waved both her scepters, columns of fire and ice shooting up and chasing Impa all around the room. Reaching into her pocket, Impa pulled out a Deku Seed and threw it hard against the ground. The flash that followed blinded Twinrova, and she was angered to find that Impa had disappeared.

"Slippery little thing, aren't you…" she muttered.

"More than you know." whispered a familiar tone.

Twinrova spun around and slammed the ice scepter hard against Impa's chest, who let up an expression of shock and despair as her body slowly began to freeze to the bone. The Gerudo witch started to laugh triumphantly, but stopped when Impa suddenly dissipated.

"Wha…that was a fake?!"

A mighty battle cry rang out from behind her, but Twinrova wasn't fast enough to stop Impa from kicking her hard on the top of the head. As she slammed against the ground, all the air was shoved out of her lungs and her scepters went skittering away as her opponent landed with a smirk.

"What's wrong, witch? Are you not entertained?"

Twinrova called her scepters back to her hands as she shook the shock off, disgusting Impa when she shot forth a sly grin. There was something about in particular that Impa didn't like, and she figured it out the moment Twinrova spoke again.

"Oh, I most certainly am, Sheikah. Such anger. Such a desire to finish me off."

"…I don't know what you're talking about."

"Rubbish. Something's eating away at you, isn't it, Sheikah? Something drives you to want to kill me…or even complete your mission. Is it the loss of a loved one? Or perhaps the dread of possibly losing one?"

Such words sent ill memories shooting into Impa's mind. Memories that drowned everything out as she saw through younger eyes. The sounds…shouting, blades clashing, and the undoubtable sounds of murder. Through these eyes, Impa had looked through the window of her home, looking in time to see more and more of her Sheikah brethren being cut down before she was called away.

She had been handed item after item by an older yet beautiful woman who looked as concerned for Impa's safety as anyone could possibly be. In moments, Impa found herself being handed the massive blade she would wield in her future, and then the woman clutched her shoulders.

"**Impa. Make for the river and keep following it until you reach the Eldin Caves. You need to get to Hyrule Castle as soon as possible."**

The fear in the woman's eyes had been enough to warn Impa that this would likely be the last time she'd see her if she obeyed, and as one would expect from a child her age, she wouldn't have any of it. She couldn't. it wouldn't just be leaving behind someone she held dear. It would be leaving behind everything she knew.

It would mean being alone.

"**No matter what happens, do not look back."**

"**But what about you?!"**

"**It's too late for me, child. It's too late for all of us."**

"**I can't leave you behind! I won't! If I leave, I'm taking you with me!"**

"**Bless your heart, Impa, but if they find you, they will kill you, and I'll be damned if you die before I do. Now go! Run to the castle and don't stop until you get there!"**

She ran, but she disobeyed her most important order. Once she had been far enough away, she had looked back in time to see the woman looking up at an approaching Gerudo warrior. The Gerudo drew her blade, and the Sheikah woman bowed her head, accepting her morbid fate. With that, the Gerudo raised the blade high, and with a single swing, she set Impa's vengeful rage ablaze.

"Yes, witch." she said. "A loved one's loss is what drives me…"

Twinrova smirked in vile triumph, but it turned to confusion as Impa tightened her grip on her blade, and then finally frightened when the Sheikah warrior glowed a bright blue as she unleashed her Focus Spirit.

"AND NOW YOU WILL DIE AS SHE DID!"

Impa dashed forward, Twinrova hoping to stop her with another blast of fire but only succeeding in further charging the Mirror Shield as Impa blocked it. The Sheikah slashed hard with the Gerudo just barely blocking it, but she felt the impact nonetheless. With every slash afterward, Twinrova began to feel her scepters start to crack, and she didn't know how much longer she would last with Impa forgoing all forms of tactics in favour of brawling like a total barbarian.

It was indeed frightening how much harder someone fought when the thought of revenge crept into their mind. Impa's rage knew no limits at this point. That foul memory played over and over again in her head, and every time it ended, it made her damn the Gerudo to an early grave that much more. She wanted to put her blade between the sockets of Twinrova's eyes, and she wanted to watch the witch scream and suffer as her own people had.

But the witch had other plans.

"Well, then. Let's use that barbaric strength against her."

Impa's Focus Spirit was running thin, a glimmer of triumph washing over her when she spotted a thin bleeding cut on Twinrova's arm. As she swung down as hard as she could, however, that was when Twinrova made her move. She pushed against the blow at just the right time to knock her opponent backward, and as the Focus Spirit faded, the witch finished off with a strong kick to Impa's chest.

Impa cursed her own recklessness as her back hit the ground, and even more so when Twinrova leapt on top of her. The witch brandished her scepters and swung the tips toward Impa's head, though Impa herself mustered up just enough strength to seize the scepters by their handles and keep them away. With her careless use of her Focus Spirit, however, she was left with barely any strength as the scepter heads started to close the distance. She strained her face more and more, and every time she did, Twinrova's maniacal grin grew larger.

"Look at it this way." the witch said. "At least you'll finally be with your family again."

Impa could feel the intense heat and cold bearing down on her, and the closer it came, the more the Sheikah warrior started to feel her hope diminish. She didn't really care about her own death. The most important lesson every Sheikah was taught was that death was not to be feared. No, she feared failure. She feared leaving Zelda completely defenseless. She couldn't do such a thing.

And one of her allies was keen on preventing such a thing from happening.

"Not on your life, damn you!" Nabooru shouted as she leapt forward and kicked Twinrova hard in the face.

Impa cursed herself for letting Nabooru save her, but she did at the very least accept the Gerudo's offer to help her up.

"The old bag can't take a whole lot more of this." said Nabooru. "Take her down quick and we'll be home in time for…uhh…insert random joke here, I guess. I dunno, just finish her."

"…inspiring."

Impa nevertheless seized the chance, grabbing the fire scepter off the ground and touching it to the Mirror Shield. At last it was fully charged, letting its wielder feel it vibrating in her hands and humming wildly. Enraged, Twinrova called her scepters back and charged headlong at Nabooru. She was tired of this naïve little girl interfering with her desires, and it was high time she put her in her place.

Until Impa jumped in front of her with the Mirror Shield raised.

"This party's over!" the Sheikah hollered.

With that, the charge was unleashed as a massive beam of fire, and Twinrova let out a shrill scream as the beam struck her and sent her flying against the statue. She felt nearly every bone in her body crack and felt her skin singe in all the worst ways, the fire holding her in place until it dissipated and she dropped uselessly to the floor.

"This…this can't be happening," she wheezed, wincing in pain as she pushed herself to her knees. "I'm better than this…better than them!"

She looked up as Impa's band of heroes approached her, their weapons ready to finish the dirty deed. Even if she had been felled, Twinrova couldn't accept this defeat. Granted, she couldn't accept any defeat, but she especially couldn't accept defeat from a Sheikah…or during such a vital time.

"Bah, never mind. It looks like they don't have it, anyway…" she muttered.

"Those your final words, lady?" Darunia growled. "'Cause I think my people are due an apology for the garbage you pulled on our mountain."

"This isn't over, you imbeciles! The next time you see me, I'm going to bury you all!"

Impa drew her blade with a loud shout of "ENOUGH!" and swung as hard as she could. After such a long and grueling battle, she was too frustrated to let Twinrova get away alive. Unfortunately, that was how it would have to be as the with vanished into thin air the millisecond before Impa's sword would have made contact.

"Well, shoot." Nabooru sighed. "That's rough. But at least we got her out of her-GAH!"

No one was prepared for Impa suddenly spinning around, seizing Nabooru by the throat, and slamming her up against the nearby wall. Nabooru thrashed about and grappled at Impa's iron grip and Darunia stepped forward to try and do something, but Impa had come to her senses just as quickly as she had lost them. The moment she realized what she was doing, she eased her grip until she released Nabooru altogether.

"What the hell is your problem?!" the Gerudo rasped as she rubbed at her neck and glared at her Sheikah ally, though she was starting to question their partnership.

Impa looked back at Nabooru with the same glare she'd been giving before. The violence may have subsided, but the anger remained. For some reason, all she could see when she looked at Nabooru had been the Gerudo that struck that woman down.

That woman…a woman that had been Impa's everything.

"It's fortunate that you are a Sage." Impa growled. "Otherwise…"

"You'd kill me like my people will kill yours?" Nabooru panted, the stress of Impa's chokehold finally wearing off.

"Yes."

The others were surprised that Impa would say such a thing despite being a strong believer in justice, and Impa herself was just as shocked something so cruel had slipped past her lips. Nabooru, on the other hand, stood strong.

"I guess there's no way I can stop it from happening, but you should at least know that I'm not like my people will be."

"An empty promise if there ever was one." Impa spat. "You can't control your people. They're like wild animals. Killing and pillaging is all they know how to do."

It took Nabooru every ounce of restraint she had to stop herself from striking Impa as hard as she could. Instead, as the orb Twinrova had taken floated into view, she plucked it out of the air and pressed it into Impa's hand. The hard glare she gave her left a foul mood rank through the air, and so too did the words she spoke next.

"Yes, we may have taken your family. But remember: the Hylian Royal Family your kind has fought so hard to protect took the Gerudo's freedom and sowed the seeds for the Great King of Evil."

Impa clenched her teeth and fists, but otherwise said and did nothing. As her fingers wrapped around the orb, a gateway resembling the one that had brought her and Shanya to the Lost Woods appeared in the center of the room. Nabooru sheathed her blades and proceeded toward it, looking over her shoulder one last time at Impa.

"You can doubt me all you like," she said. "But now that I know there's something out there that could hurt the people I love, I'm willing to side with whoever I must to stop it. It takes practice, but I've learned to trust my comrades as much as I can. Perhaps you should do the same."

Without another word, Nabooru walked through the temporal gate. Saria, Darunia, and Ruto looked at each other, then at Impa before the first of them offered the Sheikah a small smile.

"She really is a girl of her word." Saria said. "You can trust her, Impa."

"But it looks like you might have to work toward getting her trust back." said Darunia. "But hey. We're with you to the end if that helps."

Encouraging words as the three of them followed their comrade through the gate, followed by Shanya, who looked a Impa with an almost downcast expression.

"What is it?" Impa asked.

Shanya immediately showed the backside of her cloak in better detail, and Impa grew surprised and dismayed to see the markings of the Gerudo. Shanya then turned back to Impa and sighed, her lips remaining together as she did so. Then from nowhere, Impa heard a young woman's voice.

"I'm not angry with you. Neither is Nabooru. We're just disappointed."

Impa continued to watch as Shanya followed the four Sages through the gate, standing puzzled at several things, namely Shanya opting to speak to her above all the others (through thought, anyway). She looked down at the beautiful orb in her hand, feeling the strange power within it and recollecting on the locales visited and the battles fought to retrieve it.

Her mission was complete, but it left a hollow feeling within her. Not only from losing the trust of Nabooru and possibly even Shanya (a fledgling fighter that had already easily earned her respect), but from the sudden thought that this wasn't all there was to it.

Thus, her suspicions of Skull Kid and the entire ordeal remained, but for the time being, there was no sense dwelling on it. She stepped through the gate back to the Temple of Souls, hoping that Link and Zelda (wherever they were) were having better luck with their allies than she was.

* * *

_**This probably would have gone up way sooner had I been in the right emotional state, but with the relatively recent passing of Mr. Iwata, there just wasn't anyway I'd be able to think about anything else. I put up a short tribute fic if anyone cares to have a look at it ("He's whoring again!"), but otherwise, time for me to get back to work because next time, we're headed back to the Era of Twilight for another showdown with Zant, and we'll be ready to welcome back a very familiar face.**_

_**Maybe. I dunno. That's your decision to make, man (or lady).**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)


	12. Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight

CHAPTER TWELVE

**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight**

Mako thanked the lucky stars when he found out they didn't have to go all the way through the Gerudo Desert to reach the Arbiter's Grounds at the end of it, but such a hazard was supplemented with a rather strange journey from the grounds' Mirror Chamber through a strange tunnel of twilight. Midna had been careful to hand all her companions small beads of light and instruct them to keep it with them at all times, explaining that the Twilight Realm would eat away at their physical form if they lacked these "Sols" on their person.

Just from that possible threat, all of them save Zelda and Agitha could never have imagined entering this world to see its ethereal beauty. The towering keep of Midna's palace set a certain mood with its black walls lined with glowing blue ruts, strange black particles fluttered up from the ground every time someone took a step, and all of it was set against a lovely sunset (or at least it would be classified as that if there was a sun in the Twilight Realm).

"So this is it, eh?" Mako asked.

"Indeed." said Midna as she cast a judging look at him. "What do you think?"

"Hoo, boy. A bit trippy for my tastes, but she's a beauty. Can't deny that."

Midna smiled in pride, but she spun toward the sudden flying ball of dark energy and deflected it with a wave of her hand. The group found it rather odd that the projectile had come from a large floating helmet akin to the one Zant had been wearing the last time they saw him. With a single Light Arrow, Zelda dispatched the phantom headwear (it wasn't quite as silly as it sounds), and as if on cue, hordes of Shadow Beasts came charging for them.

"This is gonna get ugly." Midna growled. "We'll have to split up! Zelda, you take Skull Kid and Agitha and head down the west path! Rusl and Colin, you take the east! Mako, you come with me!"

And the three teams split off, the Shadows Beasts falling in droves to the blades and magic (and large golden insects) that met them. Midna noticed quickly that of the three streams of Shadow Beasts, hers was the heftiest as she and Mako charged toward the central tower.

"Zant must be this way." she said to her Zora companion. "Just promise me you'll let me have a few pops at him, okay? I'll let you get a few hits in, of course, but I think I deserve to finish him off."

"He's all yours." Mako replied with a smirk. "I think I've already had enough of him for one lifetime."

Zelda needed to get used to being on the enemy's level again after leaving Epona in the Mirror Chamber for fear the Shadow Beasts would injure her even more, but once she got in the rhythm of things, there was no stopping her. She slashed, parried, fired Light Arrows, and weaved between the beasts' extended arms. Agitha and Skull Kid showed similar skill, with the former's giant beetles paving the way for their mistress and the latter's scarecrow-like puppets forming an impregnable shield around him.

It was Skull Kid that Zelda kept her secondary focus on, Mako's fears regarding his mask acting as her motivation. Every time he unleashed a magical attack, the mask would shake, and every time it did so, Skull Kid's attacks became more sudden, frantic, and violent. Even Agitha took some notice of it, but didn't really seem to mind.

Combined with the name of their final destination, Zelda's suspicions reared their ugly heads. Termina. What was there? Why would Wizzro, Veran, and Onox base their army there of all places? How, even.

As the closest Shadow Beast seized her wrist, Zelda made their current mission her top priority and slashed hard. In the east hall, Rusl and Colin cut down every single one of the hideous beasts that came too close to them. Even if he was dwarfed by comparison, Colin stood strong and swung as hard as he could, dispatching a fair amount of the monsters before looking to the side and noticing another Zant Mask appear from nowhere.

"Dad!" he called.

"I see it!" Rusl replied. "Take cover!"

Colin vaulted out of the way just as the Zant Mask fired, Rusl deflecting the shot with his shield and rushing forward. The Mask vanished from sight just as Rusl slashed, reappearing behind him and about to open fire before Colin leapt to his father's aid with a jumping slash, dispatching the spirit in an instant. Rusl turned to his son with a smile.

"You know you're getting old when your ten-year old son has better reflexes than you do." he laughed.

The three groups conjoined in front of a grand staircase made up of only a glowing blue wire frame by the looks of it. Of course, things were not as they appeared in the Twilight Realm, proven when more Zant Masks faded into existence.

"So you've come for me, have you?" Zant's voice growled from wherever he may have been hiding.

"What, you thought were taking a vacation?" Midna shouted back. "Though in this case it wouldn't be considering which of us really belongs here!"

"Funny. Before that rat showed you life outside our realm, you'd never consider the well-being of folk like your current company. It looks like you still don't, in fact. Bringing them here like pigs to the slaughterhouse."

"Oh, shut up and get out here already!"

"I understand that's how hospitality works, but as I don't intend waste my time with you, I find it more fitting to just let you die while I watch. It should serve as some mild entertainment."

The Masks closed in, more and more generating as time went on. The heroes began to strike back, but Zelda and Rusl were quick to notice perhaps the worst part of the entire situation as the doors leading in and out of the room were steadily closing off. Having their entire army stuck in a trap would quickly doom the entire mission, and they spotted the swiftest (if temporary) solution as they looked at the two figures closest to the doors. They rushed forward, pushing Skull Kid and Colin through the slowly sealing gap just in time.

The two hit the floor got to their feet almost immediately as they processed what had just happened, and as soon as Colin was made fully aware that his father was in grave danger and there was nothing he could do about it, he started frantically slamming his fists against the door and trying to pry it open. An admirable effort if pointless through and through. Even Skull Kid with his magical enhancements couldn't muster up enough strength to free his trapped comrades.

"No, no, NO!" Colin shouted. "This can't happen now!"

"Colin! Skull Kid!" Midna called. "Listen to me! There's a path in the east hall that leads outside to the Fairy Fountain! Head that way and get us some reinforcements!"

"But we can't just leave you here! You'll all be killed!"

A loud series of shouts and slashes before they heard another voice. Rusl's.

"You know me, son." he said in confidence, though his voice indicated tiredness. "And you know our allies well enough. We'll keep fighting until our bones turn to dust.

"Dad…" Colin whispered under his breath.

"Please hurry, boys!" Agitha called. "We can't hold them off forever!"

Skull Kid took his human companion's hand and pulled lightly. Colin turned to him and sensed the determination behind the mask.

"We gotta go, Colin!" the imp exclaimed. "They'll be okay if we hurry!"

Colin nodded, though looked back at the door one last time before he and Skull Kid took off down the hallway as quickly as they could. They found the outside passage and ran along the thin bridge to another one of the palace's floating islands. A trio of Zant Masks materialised in front of them, Colin working his forward momentum into a mighty spin attack and dispatching them before they presented any resistance.

As they continued down the path and made out a distant structure with a mysterious light emanating from its entrance, they felt the ground beneath their feet start to shake. Not enough to throw them off-balance, but enough to make them anxious. Combine that with a booming low growl from somewhere and Zant's maniacal laughter, and one had what we in the business (or with common sense) call a recipe for disaster.

"Going so soon, children?" the usurper king asked with a clear malevolence in his tone. "Perhaps you'd like a friend to keep you company."

The growl came back, this time louder as its owner appeared from behind the closest tower. The two young heroes' first clue that they were outmatched was when they saw the creature's skeletal hand appear, noticing that it was large to seize at least three full-grown men in it. Then the beast reared its ugly horned head, leering down at the battlefield with its glowing red eyes. Said eyes spotted the two youths in a matter of moments, and the beast let out a mighty roar.

"What in the sweet Farore is THAT?!" Colin shouted, his voice cracking as his fear reached its peak.

"Run!" Skull Kid cried.

And they ran, but with Stallord having already set its sights on them, there weren't any places for them to take cover. It opened its jaws and unleashed a torrent of flame at its targets, barely missing as they picked up their pace at the last conceivable second. The fire kept coming and coming, though Stallord thankfully never moved from its spot thanks to its spine being rooted to the ground.

Unfortunately, Colin and Skull Kid quickly found that the skeletal behemoth had other tricks up its (metaphorical) sleeve when it let out a strange high-pitched call. The second the sound rang out, there sprang from the ground dozens upon dozens of armoured skeletons. Not necessarily Stalfos, as when the two young heroes got near them, they didn't move. They didn't even acknowledge them. The boys, however, quickly figured out that they weren't there to harm them, but rather to hinder their progress and give Stallord more time to finish them off.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud!" Skull Kid shouted as he raised his hand. "Get outta the way!"

The second the imp slammed his palm against the ground, the shockwave that erupted splintered the mindless skeletons instantly. Colin marvelled at his companion's power for but a second before they continued their mad dash to their goal, Stallord still breathing flames and summoning skeletons as they did so. Not wanting to waste their time or energy on the skeletons, the two weaved around through makeshift paths knowing that every second they wasted was another second Zelda and her company were in danger.

They stumbled as the ground beneath their feet heaved upward. Stallord had slammed its hands down to try and slow them, and it had succeeded in tripping Skull Kid. Satisfied, the monster unleashed its flames, Skull Kid looking up just as the fire started to close the distance between him. The imp knew he was in good hands when Colin dashed forward, dug something from his pocket and tossed it headlong at the flames. As the object flew, it spun at high speed, generating a tornado as it did so and striking the flame. When the flames dispersed, the object returned to Colin's hand, allowing Skull Kid to get a good look at it.

"Wait a second, that's a boomerang!"

"Yep. The Gale Boomerang. I got it from a friend of mine. He had a whole bunch of things like this."

"There's the Fountain! Let's go!"

They regained their momentum and finally cleared the distance between themselves and the door. At Colin's call, Skull Kid telekinetically shut and barred the door with a piece of the floor. They could hear Stallord roaring on the other side, enraged that it allowed its prey to escape and unleashing flames in a vain attempt to burn through the door.

"Phew." Colin sighed. "Close call."

"Hey, what's this?" Skull Kid called.

In the very center of the room was a red chest, its edges lined with gold and featuring no lock. As such, Skull Kid skittered toward it and looked it over. Colin was more cautious, keeping a grip on his oversized sword as he stepped forward. He looked around the room in the meantime, little particles of light flitting throughout the air. Before them lay a shallow pool of water, and they wondered. If this was a Fairy Fountain, where was the Great Fairy?

Skull Kid ignored it, raised his hand, and telekinetically wrenched the chest open. A golden light came from inside of it, and Skull Kid stepped forward, reaching his arms in and picking up the object within. He looked at his prize for a few silent moments, and then spun around and held it up in triumph.

"I got a THIIIIIING!" he sang. "…seriously, though, what is this thing?"

It was a rather strange object, resembling some kind of top made of rusted old gears. Colin stepped forward again to try and inspect it when Skull Kid looked at him as if in fear.

"Umm…Colin?" he said.

"Yeah?"

"There's someone behind you."

Colin froze and felt his hair nearly stand on end, particularly when he started to feel a finger poking against his cheek. He bit his lip and fearfully turned to look over his shoulder, but to his surprise and even relief, it was not a horrid monster, but a tall and beautiful woman with wings that seemed to be fashioned purely from soft light. Her hair was woodland green and draped down her front. Just as well; aside from a loincloth, she wore nothing.

Not that Colin or Skull Kid really noticed as she giggled, gently poked the former's forehead, and drifted before them.

"You've come to me seeking my aid." she said in a beautiful and echoing voice. "For your pure hearts and bravery in making it to me, I will be happy to grant it."

The Great Fairy clapped her hands together, the sound echoing softly through the chamber. She then parted her hands and revealed a small ball of azure flame, and with a light breath, she blew the flame forward and vanished into thin air, her soft and warm laugh remaining while Colin and Skull Kid looked on at the sight before them.

As the flame touched the ground floor, they changed from blue to red and ascended into a pillar. The crackling grew louder every second as the wind began to pick up, though the fire didn't waver before it. All of a sudden, they heard a low growling from within the flame and wondered if coming to the Great Fairy for help was really the best idea. What in the world had she just done?

The question was answered in a spectacular fashion as the pillar of fire grew and the growl turned into a roar. Colin and Skull Kid could make out a humanoid shape within the flame, its arms and legs apart and its head turned upward. Screaming in agony? No. A cry of triumph, as if it had been away far too long. The flames began to rise and swell, and that was when Colin figured their safety was at a serious risk.

"Get down!" he shouted.

He and Skull Kid dropped flat on their stomachs just as the fire dispersed, leaving a smoky smell in its wake. They kept their gazes downward to stop the spreading ashes from entering their eyes, only looking up when they heard the undeniable clank of heavy armour.

Before them stood an intimidating yet impressive figure. A man with most of his face obscured, only his thin mouth and golden beard showing. This obscurity was due to the horned silver helmet, boasting slit green eyes. Encasing most of his body was spiked and fiery red armour. Colin and Skull Kid could feel the heat radiating from him, and both felt nothing but fear as he rose to his feet, towering over them so immensely that it felt like they were gazing upon a god of war.

"What seems to be the problem?" he said to them in a deep and somewhat threatening voice, with what seemed like magma dripping from his teeth as he spoke.

Colin didn't know how he managed to speak to such a figure, but there were more important things at stake than his own fear.

"They're in danger…Midna and Zelda."

The knight snapped to attention at the mention of Zelda and nodded, and with his hand outstretched, a long spear materialized from mere embers in his hand.

"That's all I need to hear. Show me the way."

They didn't hesitate to obey him. Skull Kid removed the bar and slammed the door open, and with that, the three broke into a run with Colin leading the charge. Stallord had waited for them; it focused its sights on them yet again, wondering who this new morsel was but disregarding it and unleashing its flame. The crimson knight simply smirked.

"Fighting fire with fire, are you?" he called to the skeletal behemoth. "I'll be sure to test mine against yours. Don't run off on me, now."

The three continued their charge while Stallord paid no attention to the knight's threats and continued firing. The boys ducked in mid-run every time the fire came too close, the knight keeping a steady pace with them until they finally reached the door.

"A little lacking in strength, eh?" he asked.

Colin nodded. The knight nodded, and in a dazzling display of fire, his arms shifted from that of a man to that of a reptile. Of a dragon, and as he placed his claws within the crack between the doors and began to heave, Colin and Skull Kid sighed with relief when they saw them start to part.

On the other side, Zelda's group had dispatched dozens upon dozens of Zant Helms, but even as they did so, more poured in as if from nowhere. Zelda herself took a blow to the shoulder and dropped her rapier. She rushed for it, when before her eyes materialized a phantom double of Zant, its scimitars poised to strike and likely making the blow had it not been for Mako putting himself between them and blocking it. A cast of twilight from Midna destroyed the double in an instant, but even the Twilight Princess herself was backed into a corner.

"Dammit, those two better hurry up before I really start losing my patience here!" she shouted.

And lo and behold. With a mighty roar, the dragon knight pried the door off their hinges and unleashed hell upon the remaining Zant Helms, swinging his spear at breakneck speed and breathing fire that could melt the strongest steel. When nothing remained of Zant's apparitions, the knight turned to Zelda.

"Stand, princess. You aren't finished yet."

"Volga?!"

Of all the people Zelda expected to see during this quest, Volga was perhaps one of the last. He had died right in front of her, stricken down by the Master Sword. By Link, and yet here he stood before her right as rain. Nevertheless, she remembered what she had said to him before he had died and showed no fear as he approached her.

"So what brings you back to the land of the living?" she asked.

Volga smiled at her boldness, motioning his hand to Colin who was just relieved to see that he and Skull Kid had made it in time.

"They spoke with the messenger, I received the message, and here I am." he answered. "But in truth, I believe it was a refusal to pass on that kept me at that fairy's call. A desire for a goal in life."

"And what was that?"

Volga raised his spear, and for a moment, Mako thought he was about to attack her and stepped forward. Instead, the dragon knight turned his weapon upside down and planted it into the floor. Zelda held back an impressed smile as Volga continued to speak.

"Redemption, Princess Zelda." he said. "I was used against you as a mere sellsword for darkness as you told me, only showing my true self to fall to the hero's blade. Now I would like to show you exactly what I am capable of when I am a deliverer of justice."

He placed a fist against his chest and lowered down onto one knee. A show of fealty much unlike what he had shown when he had served Cia.

"If you will have it," he finished. "My fire is yours."

She didn't need to think twice. Someone as powerful as the great dragon of the Eldin Caves would prove nothing less than useful. Zelda had wondered from the day she first saw him what his power would be like if used for good, and there wasn't any way she could pass up such a chance. She held her hand out to him.

"We would be glad to have you, Volga." she said.

The dragon knight took the princess' hand and rose just as they heard Stallord roar from outside.

"Zant's most likely on the balcony at the top floor." said Midna. "Mako and Zelda, you come with me. We're gonna trounce this guy or die trying. The rest of you head outside and keep the opposition from following us."

"Hold on!" Colin spoke up. "There's this huge fire-breathing monster out there! We go out there in a huge group and we're gonna get fried!"

Volga laughed and patted Colin on the shoulder before giving him a determined grin.

"Not to worry, lad." he said. "Leave him to me."

They separated, but not before Skull Kid tossed Mako the treasure he'd uncovered at the Fairy Fountain.

"The hell is this?" Mako asked.

"Beats me." said Skull Kid. "But you look like someone who could use something like that."

"….thanks, I guess? Ah, never mind. Alright, ladies, let's get moving."

Volga followed his group back outside and turned toward Stallord. It immediately focused on him, and he merely laughed as it roared at him yet again.

"Trying to intimidate me, eh?" he growled, flames starting to spurt from his mouth as his teeth began to lengthen. "I'm usually the one doing the intimidating. Perhaps this will show you why."

He raised his spear skyward and let out a mighty roar, a stream of fire shooting from his mouth and becoming a sphere that enveloped him. The sphere grew rapidly until it dissipated, and in Volga's place was a great dragon that took flight toward Stallord the second it spotted him.

"Now then, creature!" the dragon roared in Volga's voice. "Make peace with any god you may believe in…before I make pieces of YOU!"

Back inside, Zelda, Mako, and Midna continued their ascent up the tower, Mako still lugging the Spinner in the crook of his arm. Its weight started to bear down on him the higher they climbed, but he persisted, a desire to put Zant down once and for all being his driving force.

"Oh, come on!" Midna sighed in disgust. "Really?! I can get over this no problem, but you guys are gonna need some kind of miracle lift!"

Having the stairs before them collapse into a twilight abyss was certainly a setback, but Mako took special notice of the indents along the wall. They were at a specific space from each other, and as Mako looked down at the Spinner, he calculated that the metallic cogs on its top gear were nearly the same space apart if not the exact same.

"Maybe…" he muttered to himself before turning to Zelda. "I have a crazy idea."

It took him a fraction of a minute to explain, and while Zelda mentally denounced it as utter madness, she could plainly see they didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Midna drifted upward and led the way while Mako and Zelda mounted the Spinner, surprised with how sturdy it was and how fast it went when Mako pushed his feet down to get it going.

Then came the moment of truth. Mako and Zelda squeezed their eyes shut as the Spinner approached the indents, but as soon as they felt themselves ascending, they opened their eyes to find that Mako's plan, while still utter madness all things considered, had worked perfectly. The Spinner's cogs fit in the indent, and the gear continued to rotate into each indent following the first.

In short, Mako and Zelda had managed to use their new piece of kit to ascend the fallen staircase…FAST. So much so that Zelda had to seize Mako around the middle and practically force all the air out of his lungs. In response, though, he looked over his shoulder with a bright smile.

"Careful there!" he laughed. "Gotta save my strength for the big cheese up there!"

Far below were Agitha, Skull Kid, Colin, and Rusl, dueling any and all monsters that came close enough to them, and duelling high above them were Stallord and Volga. Fire spurted across the skyline as the two titans brawled and clawed at each other, Volga clearly having the upper hand what with him actually being able to move from a stationary position. With the dragn knight' help, the heroes' morale was soaring.

Meanwhile, Zant was far less impressed. He gritted his teeth from his spot on the balcony and drumming his fingers against his scimitars as his impatience swelled. He couldn't understand how a mighty creature such as Stallord was having such a hard time defeating a few targets that weren't even a tenth of its size, and now the heroes had a dragon on their side? Was fate just begging for him to strike it repeatedly until it keeled over and obeyed him?

"End of the line, Zant!" Mako hollered.

To answer his thought, yes. Fate was asking for it.

When Mako, Zelda, and Midna reached the top of the tower, however, Zant had already disappeared from sight.

"Stay sharp." said Zelda as she and Mako dismounted the Spinner. "He didn't run away. I can still sense him."

"Of course he didn't run away. He's too big-headed for that." Midna scoffed. "Watch. He's gonna start screaming his head off and come at us like a spinning top in three. Two. One."

And out came a screaming Zant, spinning toward them at high-speed with his blades extended. The second before he closed the distance, Mako stepped forward and parried him, dealing a high kick to his face for good measure. The usurper king stumbled backward, only for Midna to step forward and backhand him.

"I just can't believe you, Zant." the Twilight Princess spat. "I honestly can't believe you. You've had your filthy hide handed to you on a silver platter again and again and you keep acting like you can get away with this!"

"Keep your mockery to yourself, cretin!" Zant spat as he cracked his neck, nearly twisting his head a full 180 degrees as he did so. "I know you have come for the orb, and you will not have it!"

Zelda and Mako looked at each other with concern at the mention of the orb, realizing how tense the air had gotten. Had he found out what it did? Did he plan on finding the rest of them? Even worse, did he plan on utilizing whatever was locked away in Termina?

Either way, he was an obstacle and he needed to be eliminated, and he certainly wasn't going to make it easy for them. He waved his hand, a twilight barrier blocking the only safe way off the balcony. Not that the three heroes had any idea of leaving, anyway. Zant raised his right arm, his hand extended skyward and calling down several black and metallic pieces of something. Only Midna realized what these pieces were as they locked into place on Zant's arm.

"As someone who used part of that as a helmet way back whenever," she said with a laugh. "I think I know what I'm talking about when I say that you're didn't put it on right."

"Uh, Midna?" Mako said. "I whole-heartedly welcome cockiness, but considering he's charging that thing, it might be a good idea to HIT THE DECK!"

They dropped just as they noticed the buildup of energy from the Fused Shadow grow to exponential proportions. Rightfully so, for out came a massive beam of energy cutting through the air like butter. As the three got to their feet, Zant swung his scimitar and conjured a phantom double. Mako gripped his daggers and cracked his neck.

"Ain't gonna make it easy for us, is he?" he said with a sneer. "Okay! Zelda, you take the fake! Midna and I are gonna take the real one!"

"Are you sure?" Zelda asked.

Mako looked over his shoulder, the same cocky grin Zelda loved about him plastered on his face.

"Trust me." he said.

Zelda nodded and engaged the double while Midna and Mako closed in on the real Zant. He promptly fired again, both princess and soldier strafing out of the way before they lunged headlong at him. He swung the cannon and his remaining scimitar at Mako's head, Mako himself rolling forward and kicking him in the shin. Zant leapt back, clutching at the smarting spot on his leg before he let out a loud howl.

Then he started to grow…and grow…and grow until he towered over his opponents. Mako's mouth hung open in slight shock before he scratched at the back of this head.

"Uh, yeah…so that just happened."

"I'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE FILTHY BUGS YOU ARE!" the usurper king shouted in a much deeper pitch.

He raised his foot and brought it surging downward, shaking the floor and sending both Mako and Midna stumbling off their feet. Zant raised his foot again, this time with the intention of crushing Mako underneath it. Midna remained as light on her feet as ever, conjuring a particularly large twilight blade and jamming it into Zant's foot. He promptly shrieked and began hopping on one foot, clutching the pricked one as he shrank back down to his normal size and Mako lunged at him again.

"Thought you'd take me down that easy, did ya?" the Zora youth said with a determined grin before he slashed along the thin crack of Zant's mask. "Let's see that pretty little face, yeah?"

The mask broke in an instant, already fragile with the bout they'd had before on the Bridge of Eldin. Zant's lamp-like eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth once he could get a clear view of Mako and without hesitation slammed the cannon against the side of his head. Mako buckled, Midna promptly rushing in and locking blades with Zant, who sneered.

"Taken up the way of the sword, have you?" he growled as he pushed Midna back and engaged in a series of blocks and counters with her.

"I may have learned a thing or two from that certain boy you looked down upon? And if I recall, that was what got you killed…twice. A third time if you don't stop this madness right now."

"Showing mercy? That wretch rubbed off on you far too deeply."

"Oh, I show mercy, alright. Just not on demons like you!"

Midna pushed forward when Zant slashed at her again, stumbling him just enough for her to slam her hand against his chest and repulse him. Enraged, he fired the cannon again, this time with Zelda deflecting without averting her eyes from her current opponent. Said current opponent was proving to be much of a match as she finally managed to swing her blade firmly across its chest and dispatch it. She prepared to turn her attention on Zant before she spotted Stallord and Volga high above them.

Despite Volga's tremendous efforts, Stallord was beginning to gain the upper hand, clamping its jaws down on its opponent's neck. Volga roared in pain, and Zelda wasted no time in pulling her bowstring back and letting an arrow fly straight into Stallord's eye. The undead abomination shrieked and released Volga, but wasted no time in clawing again and succeeding in leaving a heavy scratch on the dragon's wing, forcing him to the ground to boot.

"Mako!" Zelda shouted. "Volga's in trouble!"

"A little preoccupied right now!" Mako shouted back as he blocked another of Zant's blows.

Zant slashed at Mako's chest, only for the Zora to flip over the usurper king's head and deliver a sharp kick to his back. Zant's response was to slam his cannon against the ground, a column conjuring beneath his feet and raising him high above his opponents.

"He always did think he was above Hyruelans," Midna muttered. "But that's just ridiculous."

Midna and Mako continued to sprint around Zant's pillar as he opened fire on them with the cannon. Mako at this point was already fed up with the Twili maniac's antics and ego, and anything to stop this insanity would be heaven to him. So he took the barbaric route and slammed his whole body weight against the pillar. To his satisfaction, this shook the pillar with such a force that Zant lost his balance and hit the ground head-first.

Volga roared in pain as Stallord struck him again only moments after he regained flight. Zelda truly was trying her best to distract Stallord, but to no avail. Midna took notice and beckoned to Mako.

"Go give Zelda a hand!" she said. "You've gotten your fair share of hits on this clown, anyway. It's my turn."

Amused at Midna's confidence and cockiness, Mako turned his attention to Stallord. Under normal circumstances, he would have just shouted some sort of insult at it and hoped it would even pay attention to him, but he'd learned enough times now that using his brain wasn't a bad thing.

As he pondered this, he spotted something peculiar: a series of hairline cracks in some sections of Stallord's spine. One such section was close enough to long jump to, but Mako estimated that his blades wouldn't make enough of an impact, nor would Zelda's arrows. Then he remembered the Spinner. It would definitely fuel enough force into the blow to crack the bone, but could he get it far enough? And on top of that, could he strike at just the right angle to get back to the balcony?

He cracked his knuckles and shook out his anxiousness as he seized and mounted the Spinner. Only one way to find out.

"Mako, you're completely mad, you know!" Zelda shouted as he started to pick up speed.

"I know!" the Zora youth called back. "Ain't it awesome?!"

He turned his attention back to his ride, muttering "Come on, baby. Little bit faster…" under his breath a few times until he reached what he believed to be the necessary speed. He bit his lip as he approached the railing, knowing full well it was a long way down into oblivion if he failed this maneuver. There was no back-up plan, no way for him to ensure his survival if he messed up.

But as always, he was the guy that loved to take those kinds of risks. With a smile, he bent his knees, and when the time came, he soared.

"COWABUNGAAAAAAA-HA-HAAAAAAAA!" he cheered.

For the second time in a single day, one of Mako's utterly mad ideas worked flawlessly as the Spinner struck the fractured bone. As it did so, Mako leaned forward to tilt the Spinner downward, and to his relief, it rebounded at the perfect angle and sent him back to safety. The impact cracked the bone even more, and Stallord let out a roar of pain and reflexively leaned forward. Thus, Volga had the perfect oppourtunity to strike and took it, shifting out of his dragon form and surging towards Stallord like a fiery meteor.

"Return to dust and ponder on your weakness!" the dragon knight bellowed as his spear made contact and he burrowed through Stallord's solid bone.

As Stallord's head detached, Volga gave it one strong kick and sent it tumbling away into the abyss below the palace. With that done with, what remained of the twilight fossil collapsed onto the ground, much to the relief of all the heroes at that level.

As Mako skidded to a halt and let the Spinner fall limp, he breathed a sigh of relief. He really hadn't expected that stunt to work, but then again…

"I'm not finished with you yet, boy!" Zant bellowed as he got to his feet and charged his cannon.

"Mako!" Midna shouted.

The young Zora turned just in time to spot the twilight beam coming right at him, and Midna shoved him aside just in time to get him out of the way at the cost of being struck by the beam herself. She screamed as she was thrown backward, slamming against the wall with such a force that she bounced off of it. She came to rest firmly on the floor, and while Zelda ran to her fellow princess's aid, Mako turned toward Zant. All his cockiness was gone, replaced with a massive surge of anger.

"Bastard!" he shouted, drawing his daggers back and swinging hard.

Zant held up his cannon to block the blow, appalled when Mako's strike was enough to shatter right through it and scrape his wrist. He leapt backward as the Fused Shadow pieces drifted away from him, but Mako gave chase, kicking the usurper king as hard as he could in the face. Zant stumbled backward, coming to a stop after a few steps and picking his second scimitar up to try and stop Mako's rage.

With a few nimble flips, the Zora kept striking the usurper king from angles he couldn't block from. At last, Mako managed to disarm his opponent and slung his arm around his neck. He had the full intention of breaking Zant's neck then and there when he took special notice of Midna. She wasn't dead, thank goodness. In fact, she wasn't even badly injured, but something peculiar had indeed gone on with her. In the place of the ethereal beauty was a peculiar imp-like creature sporting large red-and-yellow eyes and a glowing orange ponytail. Mako could admit to himself she was quite cute-looking, but clearly Midna didn't think so as she looked down at herself, gasped, and scowled.

"Are you kidding me?!" she shouted in a slightly higher pitch than normal. "Seriously! Are you bloody KIDDING ME?! AGAIN?!"

Zant started to chuckle even as Mako tightened his stranglehold, escalating into full-on psychotic laughter once Midna began floating a foot or so above the ground.

"You must enjoy that look by now, Midna." he cackled. "It suits a naïve child all too well."

Midna leered at her nemesis before she held out one of her arms. The crown of the Fused Shadow levitated before her, and she promptly seized it and placed it upon her head like a helmet covering her right eye. As she did, her hair began to shape and twist into a large hand, its fingers convulsing and looking ready to tear Zant apart.

"How about I give you a good look, then?!"

With a strong kick, Mako pushed Zant right into Midna's range, the large glowing fist seizing him around the middle and lifting him high above the ground. As quickly as that happened, Midna slammed him against the stone floor again and again before promptly tossing him helplessly into the air.

"Zelda!" Midna called.

Zelda loaded her bow and let fly with a Light Arrow. Though it didn't fully pierce Zant, it certainly stuck into his back and sent a wave of pain shooting through him. Last but not least.

"Mako!"

Mako leapt just above Zant, spotting the strange jewel affixed to his crest in a second. A glowing blue orb with Nayru's symbol gleaming on the front.

"I'll take that, thank you very much." he said as he plucked it free.

"Damn you, boy!" Zant hollered.

"It does feel good to be young, doesn't it?"

From Zant's mouth spurted grunts of pain and drops of blood as Mako punched him across the face multiple times, finally planting his feet against the usurper king's chest and ramming him to the ground. The deed completed, Mako flipped backward. He felt satisfied, but grew confused when Zant still managed to stand up, albeit very slowly and looking like he could collapse at any second. He used that time to look at Mako with a gaze of pure venom. Whether Mako liked it or not, he and Zant were now mortal enemies.

"You…YOU!"

Despite being beaten so hard he could barely stand, Zant still had enough strength left in him to…hop around and shriek like a nutcase for a minute or two before falling to his knees. It didn't make any sense to Mako, either, and he'd finally had enough of Zant's antics by the time the usurper king raised his hands skyward and let out an ear-piercing scream that even the heroes at ground level could hear.

"For the love of Din, just shut up!" the Zora soldier shouted before rearing his fist back and letting loose with one solid and (by the sound of it) bone-cracking punch.

That punch was all it took to send Zant stumbling over the railing and falling away into the twilight abyss, screaming in a manner of pure lunacy the whole way down. Mako shook the shock off of his hand. As the triumphant smirk grew on his face, Midna leaned up against his shoulder with the same sort of look on her face.

"Nice work, Zora." she said. "If I manage to get back to normal, wanna stay here with me and be my husband?"

"Err…" Mako said as he grasped at the back of his neck in shame. "Listen, Midna, about you getting…"

"Don't worry about it. This isn't the first time it's happened."

"Oh. Alright, then…wait, what?!"

Midna laughed for a moment before Zelda stepped forward and offered her a respectful bow.

"Princess Midna," she said with all the courtesy she had. "Thank you for your help in our quest."

"No, thank you, Zelda." said Midna. "For putting up with me and helping me get my home back…and I guess this is the part where you ask me to help you out with something else?"  
"Yes. We face a much bigger challenge ahead and we require as much help as possible."

Midna didn't even think. She simply crossed her arms and smiled.

"Ah, one bout of fun after another, huh?" she sighed with a roll of her eyes. "Well, it wouldn't hurt."

Zelda smiled and gave another bow before Mako directed her gaze downward. Below were all of their allies, all smiling at both their victory and their leader's. They awaited her command, and she raised her rapier in response to them.

"What say all of you?" she called to them. "Will you join me?!"

Without so much as a single second of hesitation, they all cheered. Zelda's smile grew evermore. A significant fighting chance against whatever Termina held for them. She set her eyes on Skull Kid as he cheered along with his newfound friends. It was genuine. Zelda could sense that much. The imp child indeed had some darkness within him, but so did just about everyone. He was not a schemer. He wanted to help them in any way he could, and for Zelda, that was enough to place her faith in him.

Him and Mako, how she offered a smile of approval. He returned the smile and felt his own triumph well up. He truly was elevating to the status of a hero, and he could feel it. He'd brought down the usurper king Zant, and now he was on his way to keep Hyrule safe from whatever enemy would face them in Termina. He hoped Link would make it back in one piece to see his success.

Like Zelda, though, Mako had his own questions regarding their enemy, but his real question came when he looked over the railing into the abyss.

"Midna?" he asked. "That pit down there is bottomless, right?"

"The irony of course being that I can't just go down there and check it out." Midna replied in a snarky tone. "Why do you ask?"

Mako remained concerned. He didn't think a thing of his ego when he imagined the possible outcome, and he didn't dare bring it up lest his allies begin to share his concern.

Mako didn't miss Zant at all…but how could he be sure the usurper king was really gone?

* * *

_**'Course not! Where's the fun in that?!**_

**_Ah, Volga. Badass incarnate and Hyrule's own equivalent of Lu Bu...that's, uh, a character from Dynasty Warriors if anyone has no idea what I'm on about. But that aside, I really like how Volga's sort of become a fan favorite alongside Cia. One particularly good story I came across is Hoprocker's Way of the Dragon, which develops a very unique origin story for him. Definitely check it out if you like him as much as I do. _**

**_Tune in next time, and watch as Link takes on everyone's favourite flamboyant demon lord in all his glory in a battle for the ages!_**

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors (my favourite song in the game)


	13. Showdown in the Thunderhead

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

**Showdown in the Thunderhead**

In truth, Ghirahim was relieved to get away from Link and his three allies even if only for a moment. As he appeared upon the so-called Isle of Songs, he slumped over and took in a few deep breathes. For mere children, Lana and Groose had certainly known how to pack a punch, proven when he felt at his jaw and cringed at the sting.

"Blasted children…they aren't honestly here for that, are they?"

He didn't have much time to ponder as he heard the familiar cry of a Loftwing, and turning his attention to the glowing portal that had bored its way into the massive dome of clouds, he spotted the fours heroes charging for him at maximum speed.

"We're not done with you, creep!" Groose shouted.

The Demon Lord gritted his teeth and began showing his theatrical side when his four enemies touched down and brandished their weapons. He let out an anguished cry and crossed his arms, a violent column of darkness enveloping him and sending a fierce gust shooting through the already windy air. As the column faded, Ghirahim stood with his entire body enveloped in a glowing black and white pattern, his skin looking as tough as diamonds. His eyes had gone completely blank, and as the heroes found very quickly, he'd ultimately adopted a far more menacing atmosphere.

"You know, for as much as I enjoy the good bit of violence and torture," he growled, his voice sounding as if there were several of him speaking at once as he drew a massive sword with a blade as wide as an oar. "I do like to have some private time. And it saddens me to say the four of you are gravely violating it!"

If he was expecting that to force Link and his comrades to back down, he was sorely mistaken as the green-clad hero rushed forward. The blades clashed, Stalfos crawling out of the earth and blocking Lana and Groose from assisting their leader. Link looked over his shoulder at his comrades, Ghirahim sensing his concern and snapping his fingers. Thus, an ethereal crimson cord attached itself to the two of them, Link sensing the tension he had placed on it and becoming fully aware that he and his demonic opponent were bound together.

"This is between you and me, boy." said Ghirahim. "You aren't going anywhere."

"Wasn't planning on it." Link shot back. "Let's finish this!"

And they clashed, Link striking with a series of stabs that Ghirahim easily parried. They traded blow for blow, block for block, counter for counter. Ghirahim's massive blade quickly took its toll on Link when its wielder pushed all its weight into his strikes. Link remained unconcerned until he heard his shield creak the next time he blocked an attack. In addition, he felt the wooden back start to splinter into his arm, but he kept up as much of a fight as he could muster.

Ghirahim, in his usual fashion, seemed content in showing no mercy, swinging harder when he noticed the hairline cracks in Link's shield. He smiled and stabbed several times, Link throwing him off-balance with a well-timed parry but otherwise being unable to stop him from swinging one final time. The second the sword made contact, the shield shattered right down the middle into two equal halves, pieces of the back further stabbing into Link's fingers. The hero yelped and leapt backward, shaking out as many pieces of wood as he could manage while Ghirahim kicked away the remnants of his shield.

"What seems to be the problem, hero?" the Demon Lord cackled. "I must say you seem a little overexposed."

Link gritted his teeth and gripped his sword with both hands. He knew it wouldn't be enough to properly stop Ghirahim's blows when the blades made contact and it felt like his bones would be the next thing to break. He stumbled backward, and that was fortunately when Fi looked away from her current targets and focused on him.

"Master!" she called, bounding toward him and quickly shifting her form.

Link stretched out his hand in response, and the moment the Goddess Sword landed in his right hand, he felt a new wave of power wash over him. Right away, he raised it to the heavens, its blade lighting up and letting him release it in a mighty wave. Ghirahim countered the Skyward Strike with his own form of it before he rushed forward. Link crossed his two blades in front of him and pushed his opponent back, delivering two hard slashes to his chest and chipping off part of his armour-like skin.

"You filthy little rat!" Ghirahim yelled, a red-and-gold core now flashing on the very center of his chest. "I've had enough of you!"

"Then strike me down!" Link challenged. "I dare you!"

The Demon Lord certainly tried, but the Hylian knight was just slightly faster, parrying and stabbing every chance he got. Ghirahim jammed his blade into the ground, a wave of stalagmites erupting forth. With a mighty leap, Link delivered a jump attack so strong that pieces of Ghirahim's blade chipped away when it made contact.

The hero looked off to the side for a moment and spotted Lana and Groose, making good use of each other's abilities to fend off their still spawning foes. This minor distraction, however, worked in Ghirahim's favour as he struck Link hard across the face with his fist. The diamond-like texture only served to make the blow harsher, and as Link fell, Ghirahim's knee furthered the damage with a strike to his chest.

"Oh, does it hurt?" Ghirahim laughed hysterically. "We're just getting started!"

And Link rolled as he was tossed a fair distance away, the Goddess Sword gleaming brightly as Fi found the time to interject.

"Master, might I recommend an evasive maneuver to tempt Ghirahim into lowering his defenses?"

"Easier said than done, Fi." Link groaned as he hauled himself to his feet and prepped his two blades again.

It certainly was. Despite being much heavier thanks to his transformation on top of carrying a sword almost as big as he was, Ghirahim was just as fast and agile as he had been before, perhaps even more so now that his rage was reaching its peak. Several missed slashes were so fast that Link couldn't even make out the blades as they cut through the air. What he did see, however, was the translucent circle conjuring beneath the two of them.

"I know this routine…" Link growled before he slammed the Goddess Sword's tip into the platform just as it began to rise.

The platform shattered into pieces, the force launching both opponents high into the air. Link wasted no time in firing the Hookshot, the hook embedding itself into his shoulder just as he yanked on the crimson cord that already bound the two of them. They raised their blades as they closed the distance. They clashed, brawling back and forth until one of the duellers shifted forward and gained the upper hand.

Unfortunately, said dueller was Ghirahim. Once Link's guard had been completely disintegrated, the Demon Lord slammed his entire body weight against his opponent, the force of it sending them shooting upward and over the ground. He didn't seem to care that he went soaring off the small island along with his opponent so long as he was victorious.

As Lana and Groose watched in horror as their companion started to fall away into the abyss, the hero and demon lord continued to cross blades until Link finally pushed himself away. He could already see the Crimson Loftwing flying down after him, but he knew even it wouldn't be fast enough to catch him as he fell further, especially when Ghirahim launched a black diamond at the creature's wing and forced it to retreat.

There was only one thing for it, and even if it was a stretch, it was better than just accepting what was happening. He cupped his hands to his mouth and called out.

"LEVIAS!"

His voice echoed all around until he heard the huffing of a large creature from far below. It grew louder as the clouds parted, several sparks of lightning shooting between them as they moved away. To Link's relief and Ghirahim's disgust, from far below and rising fast came the great sky spirit. As he lifted his massive snout upward, Link and Ghirahim promptly landed on his flat back and got to their feet, ready to have at it again.

"I wondered when you were going to give me a shout, lad." the whale-like deity beamed. "Mind getting that ruddy weasel out of my hair?"

Ghirahim obviously didn't care for Levias's snarky comment, but he had other things to attend to as he and Link charged again. He took a hard Skyward Strike to his stomach before rushing forward and stabbing, Link flipping forward and slamming his knee into Ghirahim's face as hard as he could. Though the recoil damage was substantial and nearly shoved Link's kneecap right out, it made enough of an impact on Ghirahim that he stumbled backward, nearly falling off the great whale's back to boot.

As per usual, however, he recovered and came at Link again. This time, he swung his blade hard in five different arcs, sending waves of energy shooting at the green-garbed hero. Link rolled, vaulted sideways, and finally reflected the waves. Though Ghirahim blocked the blow, the strength that Fi channeled into herself as Link struck her sword form against the dark blade was enough to further crack it. With a subsequent slash from Link's other blade, Ghirahim was left defenseless as his own weapon shattered into pieces.

As the demon lord stumbled backward with a shocked growl on his face, Link took special notice of the fixture on his head. A green palm-sized orb. He was surprised to find such a thing and had no recollection of Ghirahim having it before, but quickly deciphering to be what they had come to this point in history to look for, he immediately seized it and pulled it free.

"Alright, lad!" Levias called. "I'll finish him off! You just jump for it!"

Levias tilted himself skyward, electricity beginning to arc along his body. Without wasting a single breath, Link began running back to Levias's head as quickly as he could, Ghirahim now in hot pursuit without the energy left in him to teleport. Link whistled, his Loftwing springing back into action and surging toward him. Just as Levias's charge reached full strength, Link leapt off the great whale's snout with his hands outstretched, wrapping them around the Loftwing's neck and heaving himself up as gently as he could.

And thus, Ghirahim could only watch in anguish as Levias let up a mighty roar, a bolt of lightning surging through his body and electrifying his very skin. The electricity ran through the Demon Lord's weakened body, forcing an agonized scream from deep within him as immense pain came with it. As Levias descended once again, Link turned to him and gave him a grateful wave.

"Many thanks, Lord Levias!" he called.

"Anytime, lad!" the deity replied as he disappeared under the clouds. "Mind your footing next time, though! Wouldn't want you taking a lethal fall, now."

Link nodded as the Loftwing touched down on the edge of the Isle of Songs, Lana and Groose having just finished off the last Stalfos. They looked at him and sighed out of relief, said relief turning to triumph when he held up the orb with a smile.

And said triumph turning to horror when Ghirahim reached over the side, repulsed the Loftwing, and seized Link by the ankle.

"I'm not finished with you, boy!" he roared.

Link let out a single yelp of terror as the Demon Lord dragged him over the side. Though Link managed to seize the edge with one hand at the last possible second, he could already feel his fingertips starting to slip, not helped with Ghirahim weighing him down and doing every possible thing he could to drag Link into the abyss with him. Lana wasted no time in bending down and reaching for her comrade.

"Link!" she called. "Take my hand!"

The hero wasted no time in seizing his sorceress friend's hand, Ghirahim growing irritated the second he saw her.

"Come join us, child!" he growled. "You'll just love the breeze!"

Lana cried out as Ghirahim shifted his weight and she lost her balance, Groose rushing forward and wrapping his arm around her torso. Link began to like Groose more and more by the minute. He may have been an unsophisticated brute in several ways, but the brute part was exactly what they needed at that moment.

"No friend of mine is goin' down on my watch!" the Skyloftian said with a proud smirk.

"You sicken me, you boneheaded imbecile!" Ghirahim shouted.

"Hey, at least girls don't faint at the sight of me…and not in the good way before you get on your high horse about that!"

Ghirahim roared again and continued to shift his weight until even Groose started to lose his balance. Thankfully, for as strong as Ghirahim was, Link had one final ally he could call in. He whistled, his Loftwing recovering from Ghirahim's attack and seizing Groose's shirt collar in its beak. With their combined strength, they began to pull the combined package to safety while Ghirahim continued to thrash about.

"DAMN YOU ALL!" he bellowed.

With that, he seized Lana's wrist and pulled her further down, Link beginning to strike him repeatedly to try and dislodge him. Lana fought against Ghirahim's mighty grip to the best of her ability, feeling herself grow strangely weaker the longer he held on. She couldn't explain exactly what was going on, but it felt like a great deal of light being sucked from her body.

Being pulled to an imminent doom was the far more pressing matter, and luckily, her doofus of a Skyloftian companion still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve as he heaved his launched onto his shoulder.

"The Groose is loose, pal!" he shouted as he fired off a single bomb that detonated in Ghirahim's face. "And there ain't room on the train for a freak like you!"

The Demon Lord released his grip on Lana, though managed to seize Link's ankle. Any hope he had for clawing his way back up was dashed, though, when Link looked down with the coldest look he had ever given anyone, let alone a mortal enemy.

"This is the part where you fall."

And with one powerful slash from the Goddess Sword, Ghirahim's grip was released from Link's boot, and he roared in anguish as he fell helplessly into the cloudy abyss below. The three heroes watched him fall before the Crimson Loftwing lightly tugged on Groose's collar again. He obliged, steadily pulling his two companions to safety. Link in particular brushed himself off before checking over Lana.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Lana flushed at Link's sudden concern for her, and while she could confirm that Ghirahim hadn't really hurt her, he had most certainly done something as that strange empty feeling kept lingering. She shook it off nonetheless.

"I'm fine." she said with a cheery smile. "You made sure of that."

Her combat duties finished for the time being, Fi reverted from her sword form.

"Master, I can conclude our mission was 100% successful." she said. "Or rather a small segment of our mission if I am reading your intentions correctly."

Groose groaned and rolled his shoulder, Link and Lana promptly shooting him a look of discontent.

"Really? You guys barely got outta this thing alive and you're already thinking of going at it again with someone else?"

"Yeah." said Link. "It's kind of what we do. You up for it?"

"You kiddin' me?!"

For a moment, Link expected him to jump on his Loftwing and hightail it back to Skyloft, but then he thought about it for a moment. A knucklehead like Groose wouldn't be caught dead skipping out on a fight, especially if it involved time travel as they had told him. Fortunately, his whining had just been an act, proven when he cracked his knuckles and his neck with a cocky grin.

"I was made for this, buddy boy. You take me wherever you guys need to go, and I'll cave in as many faces as you need me to."

"That's all we needed." said Lana, opening her spell book and throwing it high into the air.

As it glowed and landed back in her palm, a gateway similar to the one that brought her and Link there conjured before them. Groose gave an upbeat cheer and wasted no time in running straight through it, Fi following him after giving her master a short bow. Lana turned to Link, expecting him to come running after them but pausing when he stood before the Loftwing.

She smiled. A wondrous union of man and beast. She decided to let them have their moment before she ran forth into the gate. Link stared at the Loftwing with a smile. How he hated to bid it good-bye, but what a time they had shared despite how short it had been.

"Thanks so much." he said softly, stroking the great bird's beak one last time. "I'd have been dead twice over if it weren't for you."

The bird chirped and nudged Link, forcing a laugh out of him and a sigh of content as it lifted off. He watched it fly away until it was nothing more than a small red dot in the sky. Such a magnificent creature, and what a wonder that its loyalty to its master transcended time itself.

Speaking of time, it was time for Link to return to his. Without a second thought, he turned and dashed through the portal, reappearing on the other side where Groose, Lana, and Fi were waiting for him. They had returned to the bedroom within the Temple of Souls, and not a moment too soon. Two more gateways appeared, Zelda and Impa both followed by a plethora of warriors both familiar and new.

In an instant, Zelda caught Link's eye and smiled at him as she held up the orb she collected. Link returned the smile and held up his own right as he felt a familiar tightening in his chest and let up a grunt of pain. He tried to make as unnoticeable as he could, but he could tell from Zelda's rather concerned look that he hadn't done a good enough job of it. He just thanked the lucky stars that Mako took that opportunity to speak since he certainly wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk about Cia.

"Perfect timing!" Mako beamed. "You're never gonna guess what happened, chief! Seriously, man, I took down Zant! Freakin' Zant!"

"Uh, excuse me?" said Midna with an amused grin. "Did you forget about the sweet little thing that actually gave you a chance at getting to him? Y'know, the one that took a beam for you and paid a pretty heavy price for it."

Link smiled, forgetting about Cia in an instant. It was always good to hear Midna acting all snarky, and even better to see Agitha acting so innocent and coming up to the new recruits to shake their hands. He was especially happy when Epona came galloping up to him and nuzzled him with her snout. A moment of surprise naturally came, though, when he saw a certain knight appear alongside them.

"Volga?!" he sputtered.

The dragon knight smiled and held up a hand.

"Not to worry, hero. For the sake of redemption, I come before you as a friend this time."

He then looked to his side, Shanya standing before him with a smile.

"Did things go well with Impa?" he asked.

The response was a simple nod, Shanya not daring to reveal what Impa had said to Nabooru. The words still stung, but it hardly mattered to her when Link smiled and laid one hand on her shoulder and another on Mako's.

"Wish I could have been there to see you guys." he said. "I've always found that warriors truly shine in real battles. Just a kind of drive you don't see when they're in training."

Mako and Shanya smiled at each other and then at their teacher before Impa approached with crossed arms and a half-smile at Link. She took note of his scars and missing shield. He was still reckless, but then again, she sort of liked that about him. When she noticed Volga, however, she froze in mid-stride. Part of her was shocked to see that he was alive, while another part flashed back to that same dark time of her childhood.

Run for the Eldin Caves, her mother had told her. She had, and that was the day she saw him for the first time. But did he remember it? He seemed satisfied with her presence at least when he looked over at her and offered a short metallic nod, but otherwise made no approach.

It didn't matter for the time being. If they were allies now as his presence there suggested, she'd have plenty of time to make him remember. She turned back to Link.

"Went off without a hitch?" she asked.

"More or less. We had a run-in with Ghirahim and he did a number on my shield, but otherwise…"

"Here. Use this. You're better suited to it."

She tossed him the Mirror Shield and he gave it a good tap with his blade. The resounding clang of metal gave him a good impression, and he promptly placed it on his back along with his sword. He gave her a nod and took notice of her four recruited allies.

"Hey, Brother!" Darunia beamed. "Good to see you again!"

As much as Link wanted to wish Darunia the same thing, he didn't get the chance when Ruto suddenly smothered him. From what he understood, her attraction to him was because she was extremely fond of the Hero of Time, though even the word "extremely" was putting it lightly. He couldn't blame her for that since the two had apparently been through a lot together, and she was certainly beautiful for a Zora, but he just didn't feel any sort of romantic feelings toward her no matter how much she showed such feelings to him.

Granted, he felt something, but it wasn't something a man should feel in the presence of a woman if he wants to hold an air of respectability.

"Oh, I'm so happy to see you, darling!" she squealed as she tightened her embrace and put Link at the risk of suffocation. "You just never stop being cute, do you?!"

As Link struggled about in Ruto's grasp, Saria drifted off to the side and spotted a familiar figure. The mask threw her off for a brief moment, but there was no mistaking who the imp child was when she spotted his clothing.

"Skull Kid?" she said.

Skull Kid turned to her and tilted his head in curiosity, recognizing Saria after he'd taken a long enough look at her.

"Hey! Saria!" he chirped, skittering up to her in an instant. "You're here, too!"

"Yeah. I was wondering what you were doing here, though. You just disappeared from the Lost Woods one day and I thought I'd never see you again."

"Oh, yeah! I went back home to try and work things out with my friends…it…well, it didn't work, but I met a brand new friend! She's great!"  
"Really? What's her name?"  
"Can't tell you yet, but you'll meet her soon! We're going to go to Termina to see her!"

At the mention of Termina, Zelda felt it was time to cut the joyous reunion short and return the focus to their current predicament. She raised her hand and the crowd grew silent, waiting patiently for her words.

"I assume that Impa and Link have informed all of you of the situation in this realm." she began. "Hyrule in this time is still in the midst of recovering from an already fierce war that left a good deal of the land ravaged. We can't afford to have it happen again, and as such, we're seeking to quell the threat before it extends any further."

Impa nodded and continued.

"We sought out these keys of the goddesses in order to gain access to a land known as Termina. What information you may have about it is irrelevant at this time, but we do know that it is likely where our enemies have based themselves. We travelled to your realms not only to find these keys and enter Termina, but also to seek mighty warriors willing to find alongside us and make the path to victory an easier one."

To Mako and Shanya's pride, Link stepped forward with a clenched fist.

"So what say you?" he asked. "Will you do the honour of joining us in striking down the forces of evil as you all have in the past?"

Their allies wasted no time in letting up a loud roar to demonstrate their loyalty. Zelda smiled and nodded as she, Impa, and Link turned to Lana and held out their orbs.

"Okay, Lana." the princess said. "Send us in."

Lana nodded and took the orbs in hand. She cast them in front of her as they began to glow with a certain brilliance, the emblems of the respective goddesses materializing before them. Lana uttered a mysterious incantation under her breath, and as she did so, the orbs burst into a bright display of light. The heroes watched in amazement as flashes of red, blue, and green circled around them, making all manner of wondrous sounds and flashing sights of many places from each period of Hyrulean history.

At last, Lana let up a loud shout and cast the lights before her. They conjoined in a bright flash, and when the heroes could see again, there lay a large portal, a mist preventing them from seeing what was on the other side and only adding to the mystery behind their destination.

Link looked at Zelda, and she at him. They could sense each other's anxiousness as they thought of what could lay in wait for them, and what Veran had said still rang in Link's mind. They had no idea who she, Onox, and Wizzro were serving if anyone, and if it wasn't Ganondorf, then who?

Skull Kid made the decision of finding out before them as he dashed headlong toward the portal, stopping only to beckon his allies to follow.

"Come on, everybody!" he called. "My friend's waiting for us."

And just who was this friend, Link wondered as the imp vanished through the portal. Nevertheless, they didn't want to waste any more time than they already had. Zelda turned one last time to their newly amassed army. They clutched their weapons in tense determination, waiting patiently for their leader's order.

They were ready, and so was Zelda as she nodded and grasped her rapier firmly.

"Alright, everyone. To Termina!"

And they dashed through, leaving Hyrule behind and remaining completely unaware of the tall figure that had been observing them from the shadows.

"And so the way is open…" he muttered.

* * *

There was no way Link, Lana, or Groose could have seen it, but as Ghirahim was stuck in mid-fall, a mystical gateway conjured beneath him. As he vanished through it, he was transported from the cloudy abyss to a dark and misty forest. He hit the ground, letting out a shout of pain as he shifted back into his normal form. The humiliation and his physical pain were nearly enough for him to just lay there and think about it for the next little while, but he had other things to attend to.

Said other things wasting no time in mocking him.

"A bit late to the party, are we?"

Ghirahim growled under his breath as the purple-cloaked mage smirked down at him. The demon lord had half a mind to gut this ally of his and be done with it, but he restrained himself. That wasn't to say that Vaati didn't try to make him even more irritated.

"Honestly, Ghirahim. I thought as a legendary blade you'd be a better fighter than that."

"Oh, shut up. At least I actually bothered to go out and fight. What did you do besides stand here waiting for us?"

"No matter. Did you get it?"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes but nonetheless opened his hand and produced the Triforce of Power.

"Of course. Without Cia, that girl is as weak as an infant…and what's so funny now, Yuga?"

The flame-haired and rather effeminate man continued to giggle to himself as he twirled what could only be described as an oversized paintbrush in his left hand.

"Oh, nothing." he said in a high-pitched cackle that would even make a ReDead cringe. "It's just always sort of amusing seeing a minion get in a huff after he's been beaten within an inch of his life."

"I'll beat YOU within an inch of your life, you worthless piece of filth!"

Ghirahim conjured his blade and prepared to advance on Yuga when out of nowhere, Twinrova appeared and stepped between them.

"Not now, boys." she said with a hint of disgust in her tone. "Getting kicked around like rag dolls is bad enough without us losing the orbs, too."  
"So the heroes have them now?" Vaati asked. "So why so glum?"

"Weren't you the one who said our lord could do with the power housed in Termina? Now the heroes are going to…"  
"And you didn't think for a second that they might not be up to the task and will just end up getting killed? The boy doesn't have the Master Sword with him this time, and they don't even know what's really going on over there?"

"…ah…that's a very good point."

"Precisely. In any case, now that we have the final piece to the puzzle, shall we begin the ceremony?"

"I suppose so…oh, for goodness sake, Zant! Get up!"

For the entire time Twinrova and the Vaati had been conversing, Zant had been cowering on the ground in resentment for both Mako and Midna. Mako in particular. Midna was one thing. Zant knew the kind of power she could utilize, but to be beaten by a Zora who had no more of a role in history than a common fish?

"That little Zora brat! He thinks he can throw me around like a child's plaything?!" the Twili maniac growled, slamming his fists against the ground again and again until they were sore. "I'll make him pay for this humiliation…I swear it!"

"Come off it, you imbecile." Ghirahim spat. "I was beaten down by that stupid Hylian boy again and you don't see me complaining…well, not on the outside."

Yuga snapped his fingers a few times in succession, catching the annoyed attention of his four companions.

"No time for idle chit-chat! Let's get to it!"

This impatience implied a level of sadism that even Ghirahim was curious about, but he nonetheless cast the Triforce of Power over the charcoal-black coffin. With a sly grin, Vaati cast his hands forward and began to mutter a series of incantations. Only Twinrova recognized it as an ancient language that no one spoke even in her early years, and as the Wind Mage muttered these words, the coffin began to shake. Black smoke poured from within it, and as it began to cover everything surrounding it, a deep grunting could be heard from within.

"Yes…" Twinrova said in glee. "It's working."

The coffin stood on its own accord, the shaking growing more and more violent and the grunting growing louder until the villains heard an angered roar. The coffin's lid began to crack as the shake grew and grew, Vaati's incantations growing louder and louder until he was practically screaming maniacally. As the lid began to part from the coffin, the wind mage looked over his shoulder at Yuga.

"Now!" he shouted.

Yuga swung his brush, a line of black pain wrapping itself around the coffin lid and pulling it free. The moment the way was clear, a torrent of darkness burst from within the coffin, flooding everything around it save for the evildoers that began to smile malevolently. The Triforce of Power began to shine brighter as if to combat the darkness, but it could do nothing as a clawed hand clad in a golden gauntlet closed around it, and the eyes of some evil creature that owned the hand began to glow.

"Words cannot describe how long I have waited to be before him…" Vaati muttered to himself.

"Trust me," said Zant. "You will not be disappointed."

The shadows at last cleared when the light of the Triforce had all but vanished, and there he stood, the five villains wasting no time in kneeling before their master. The very air around the man became corrupted, with what little remained of the trees becoming gnarled roots and the grayed grass receding into the earth from where it would never return.

"My lord," Twinrova said with a maniacal smile that perfectly suited her. "Welcome back."

"We are at your disposal as always." said Ghirahim.

"We pledge our lives and our honour to you!" said Zant.

The man looked over at Vaati and Yuga, sneering at them in unfamiliarity.

"And just who are the two of you supposed to be?" he demanded.

"You may not know the two of us," Vaati started. "But I can assure you that we will be as useful as you would like us to be."

"So please, let nothing stop you from keeping us at your beck and call!" Yuga grinned.

The evil being smirked and nodded with approval at his two newest servants. The more the merrier, he supposed.

"Tell me…where are the hero and the princess?" he said.

"They have retrieved the keys of the goddesses." said Zant. "Majora's pet was among the group I encountered."

"The little imp child?"  
"Yes. It would seem that they are attempting to go to Termina. He is leading them straight to her."

A sense of triumph came over the evil being when he thought of what this could mean for his enemies, and as he thought of it, he smiled. They were walking right into a trap. Not his, but certainly one they could use to their advantage. After all, the so-called "Goddess of Chaos" feared only two beings that ever existed, and here stood one.

His servants smiling as he did so, the man spread his arms and looked up at the darkening sky, letting his smirk escalate into mild chuckling and finally a maniacal roar of laughter. Even those at a safe distance from him heard it, and all feared it. Then again, there was no such thing as a safe distance anymore, and by the day's end, numerous families had already planned an emergency escape from their homes if it was necessary. With their kind of luck constantly attracting evil, it was only a matter of time. And they would need all the time they could muster.

Ganondorf had returned.

* * *

_**Big badass number one over here. Gotta love him despite how much of a bastard he is.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors


	14. Escape from the Stone Tower

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

**Escape from the Stone Tower**

When the group appeared on the other side of the portal, the sight was very bizarre. Admittedly, none of them knew what awaited them in Termina, so in that sense, anything would surprise them. Nonetheless, appearing in a desert in the middle of a sandstorm was certainly not what they were expecting.

And there would sadly be no fast way across it. At Zelda's insistence, Link left Epona behind in case the terrain they would travel would be too uneven for her. It pained him to leave his faithful friend for the second time, but Lana had quelled it with the assurance that she could have Epona there in the blink of an eye if they needed her. Now, though, he wished he had protested.

"Well, that's just awesome." Mako groaned. "And in the middle of a freakin' sandstorm, too. Perfect."

"Honey, you've never had to live in a desert." said Nabooru with a roll of her eyes. "Quit whining."

"No sense standing around." Impa called. "Let's get moving!"

They began a mad dash across the stormy landscape, the heat bearing down on them though the sand whipping through the air obscured the sun from their vision. It was only a few minutes before one of them realized they weren't going anywhere. If anything, they just seemed to be looping around the same wrecked pillars again and again.

"What the hell's going on now?!" Midna growled. "Sure, I signed up to pal around, but nobody said anything about an endless desert!"

"Skull Kid," said Zelda. "Not that I doubt we passed into Termina or anything, but are you sure this is where we were supposed to go?"

Even Skull Kid seemed confused until the mask on his face began shaking again. After seeing this enough times already and remembering what had flashed through his mind when it fell on his face, Mako couldn't take the imp's ignorance of it anymore.

"Okay, seriously!" he said. "Why is that happening?"

"What?" asked Skull Kid.

"Your mask! It's shaking, for Farore's sake! And how are you not seeing freaky things while you're wearing it?!"

"I've got no idea what you're talking about. I'm just wearing this because my friend asked me to wear it until I saw her again."

"That's another thing! Who's this friend even supposed to be?!"

He didn't get an answer when the earth suddenly began to rumble, startling all the warriors into drawing their weapons and surveying the immediate area. As they did, a mighty roar rang out from somewhere beyond their position, and they could see from a distance that a great deal of sand was shifting around as something began moving underneath it.

"I've got a really bad feeling about this…" muttered Rusl as he clenched his grip on his sword's handle.

Not two seconds after he had said that, a giant creature erupted from the sand, roaring and flying above the heroes too quickly for them to catch it. All they saw was its crimson tail as it burrowed away, its calls still echoing in the wind.

And Groose was the first to ask the obvious question: "What the sam hell was THAT?!"

"Behind you!" Volga roared.

They dived away just as the sand puckered up again, the beast revealing its head. Right away, they wished it hadn't. Its three soul-piercing eyes were disturbing enough without the set of spider-like fangs underneath, nor the tusks it began snapping at anyone who got too close.

"So, Agitha," said Mako as he strafed backward. "You gonna feel upset if we slaughter this son of a gun?"

"Good gracious, not at all!" Agitha said, averting her eyes from the foul creature. "Even Skulltulas aren't this hideous! Exterminate it, by all means!"

"Good. Only seen it for ten seconds and I'm already sick of lookin' at it."

The moment one of the heroes made a motion to strike the Twinmold, it retched and spat a vile green liquid at them. As it hit the sand where they had been standing, it began to sizzle and give off steam. They were having enough of a hard time looking at this creature without the knowledge that it spat acid, and certainly without what happened next. Impa was the first to feel it as a gust of sand slammed against her shins, forcing her to turn to have a look.

"What in the…oh no, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!"

Indeed, a smaller blue Twinmold revealed itself, still dwarfing the heroes with its size and curiously avoiding direct confrontation. Instead, it remained airborne and made up for its supposed cowardice with a rain of lasers. Zelda gritted her teeth and opened fire on it, as did Groose and Lana as they all hoped in vain to be able to damage it in some fashion while the other warriors kept the red one off their backs. To their relief, the blue Twinmold shrieked in pain when one of Groose's bombs detonated against its tail.

"There's its weak spot!" Lana called. "Fi! Saria! Agitha! Shanya! Come help us out with this one!"

Leaving Link and the others to deal with the larger Twinmold proved a more hazardous idea than they thought as it let loose with a mighty roar. The moment it did, Stalfos and ReDeads rose from the sand and began lurching toward the heroes. The heroes in turn broke away from each other to combat them, leaving Link, Mako, and Skull Kid to face their true opponent.

"Ah, just as well." said Mako with a friendly punch to Link's shoulder. "I've been looking for a chance to kick some tail alongside you, anyway."

"Did you somehow get even cockier when you were with Zelda?" Link asked as he fought back a small laugh.

"Hey, I think I've earned it! You heard me, right?! Zant! Freakin' Zant! And I took him down!"

Midna rolling her eyes from some distance away, Skull Kid led the charge with his marionettes, the Twinmold spitting all over them and melting them in a matter of moments before it snaked out of the ground and began to chase them. With a strong leap, Link and Mako landed on its back, seizing onto the ridges and steadily making their way to its head.

"Gotta give him one thing." said Link. "He can see better in this storm than we can. What do you say we fix that?"

And they climbed, nearly losing their grip a few times as the Twinmold realized its prey had mounted it and started thrashing. It did nothing to help as Link and Mako reached its head, reared their blades back, and stabbed them into the top eye. The beast shrieked, slithering wildly out of control until it crashed into a nearby lone pillar. The impact launched Link and Mako off its back, and it made a move to whack them with its tail when they landed. Luckily, there had been just enough time for Skull Kid to catch up and stop it, heaving it up off the ground and tossing it a little ways away.

Meanwhile, Zelda's small group was steadily starting to lose their patience as the smaller and more agile Twinmold continued to avoid them. They'd occasionally land a hit on its tail, but it otherwise kept jetting around, firing down on them every few seconds and forcing them to find cover. Shanya threw her scythe and guided it toward the beast, managing to leave one long slash along its body before it swatted the weapon away. It wheeled around and fired at the ground where Zelda stood, surprising her just enough that she shot an arrow into its eye by accident. It shrieked, focusing its attention on her and firing again, only for a one of Agitha's mighty beetles to block it with its hard shell.

"A vile creature like this has no business being in our presence!" said the bug princess. "We must dispose of it quickly!"

"Agreed." said Zelda. "Groose! You're up! Mind giving him a lift, Agitha?"

Groose mounted the golden butterfly and held on tight, juggling his launcher onto his shoulder and aiming true as he closed the distance between himself and the blue Twinmold. When he was within the proper range, he leaped off his steed's back and pulled the trigger.

"Bombs away, sucker!" he hollered.

The Twinmold shrieked and lurched forward, Groose landing on top of it and holding on for dear life. He really hadn't counted on such a thing happening, and with Agitha now occupied with a team of Stalfos, he couldn't count on her sending him another butterfly. It hardly mattered when Lana came jumping up to his aid from several of her conjured platforms and offered him her hand.

"You had my back the entire way through your time. I figured it would be good to save your hide for once."

"You figured right! Get me off this thing!"

They made a mad dash back to ground level, the enraged Twinmold firing mercilessly on them and realizing too late that Link had begun to ascend the platforms with the Mirror Shield in hand. The two lasers it fired bounced off the shield's surface, one into its firer's eye and the other into its counterpart's. The blue Twinmold in particular fell to the ground and immediately made a vain attempt to burrow away from its opponents, stopped when Darunia seized it by the tip of its tail.

"You're not goin' anywhere, ya stupid bug!" the Goron chieftain roared. "Now how about we go for a little spin?!"

The Twinmold could do nothing as Darunia began spinning it around practically to the point of vomiting up whatever it had eaten before, particularly when its captor shouted "Got a kiss for your big brother?!" and slammed it hard into its larger counterpart before tossing it high into the air. There, it knew its fate was sealed as Volga reared back his spear and threw it with all his might. The weapon embedded itself flames and all into the Twinmold's remaining eye, and as Volga flew upward and retrieved it, the beast let out one final pained shriek before it dropped motionless onto the ground.

"Great work, brother!" Darunia laughed as Volga landed back on the ground.

Volga himself smirked at his ally, clearly showing that his pride as a dragon remained strong as ever.

"Fire has no brothers but the smoke it exhales and the stone that encases it." he replied.

"Well, hey." said Darunia. "You can't get a harder rock than me."

Seeing the corpse of its companion drove the red Twinmold into a rampage as it recovered from the blows it had suffered before. It unleashed a mighty roar before it began snaking along the sand, angrily snapping its tusks at whoever came close enough. Link flipped out of the way, dragging Skull Kid along with him. He was surprised at how fast the Twinmold was despite its size, and he quickly began looking around for a method of stopping it. All at once, his eyes landed on one particular ally who would be more than happy to help him.

"Ruto!"

The Zora princess turned to him, growing a wide grin when he said to her "Let's go surfing." With a wave of her arms, Ruto summoned forth a tsunami, Link kicking up a stone slab laying on the ground and standing upon it as the wave reached him. Thus, he and Ruto zipped forward as the water picked up their monstrous opponent. The torrent sucked it helplessly toward them, and without any hesitation, Link bounded forward and buried his sword to its hilt into the final eye.

"Bullseye!" he shouted in triumph, wincing when Ruto squealed in delight and proceeded to embrace him.

"That was flawless, sweetheart! …oh, crap on a carp, it's still alive."

Alive, trashing, and angry. Even though it was now permanently blinded in all three eyes, it didn't stop moving. It seemed to be in full retreat, but with a quickly conjured barrier, Lana stopped it in its tracks. It turned left, and Midna created a Twilight barrier. It turned right, and Volga breathed a line of flames. It turned backward, and Darunia slammed his hammer into the ground and produced a series of stalagmites.

"Alright, he's boxed in!" Midna shouted. "FINISH HIM!"

At that order, six warriors bounded upward and readying themselves. Link, Impa, Nabooru, Rusl, Shanya, Fi. As the blades pierced its hide and ruptured its organs, the Twinmold thrashed about in a steadily weakening fashion, letting up several disgusting shrieks before its head fell limp, and once it stopped moving, both it and its already deceased companion degenerated into sand that blew way in the wind.

And to make things odder, so too did the desert surrounding the heroes. Within moments, they stood in the entrance hall of a crumbling fortress of some sort. Some distance away from them was a strange monument that Skull Kid stepped forward to look at. He hesitated at first, but then slipped off his mask and held it up. He looked at the monument, then at the mask, then at the monument again. Then he turned his mask upside down and compared them again.

"That's weird…" he said before he put the mask back on.

"What is?" Zelda asked.

"Nothing…but doesn't that thing look kinda weird?"

He received several strange looks.

"You mean OTHER than the fact you just took your mask off and compared them?" Colin asked.

"It looks…wrong somehow…I dunno. Let's get outta here."

He scurried toward the nearest exit, his companions following closely behind him though were now slightly more wary. As they walked through the gateway they were met with nothing more than a drop-off with a small set of platforms seemingly leading to nowhere. The heroes looked around for any other way of traversing, but found nothing.

At least not until Groose took a look around and noticed several things, namely the ridges below them.

"I think I figured out what was weird about that statue to you, Skull Kid." he said, snapping his fingers as a conclusion sprung to his mind. "It's upside-down. The whole tower is."

"…okay, Groose." said Nabooru. "You seem like a nice guy, but that's single-handedly the stupidest thing I've ever heard, and we're in the presence of Ruto, the queen of saying stupid stuff."

After Nabooru avoided a disgusted fin-slap from her aquatic companion, Groose directed them over the side of the floating platforms, and then upward. Wonders never ceased it seemed, for below them was the starry night sky, and above them was a black pit with a bed of spikes on the ceiling.

"Master Groose appears to be 100% accurate in his claim." said Fi. "In this current state, exiting the tower appears to be impossible. The only solution seems to be flipping the tower rightside-up."

She surveyed the immediate area until something caught her visual processor: a red jewel fixed just above the gateway they had exited from. She analyzed it for a few brief moments, determining it to be some sort of switch and uncovering what would activate it.

"Milady Zelda." she spoke up. "I must advise you to fire upon that jewel with your Light Arrows."

Like anyone else, Zelda wondered what that would do, but Fi hadn't steered them wrong yet. Thus, she loaded her bow and fired away. As if things weren't strange enough, the moment the arrow struck the jewel, the tower began to shake. The heroes struggled to keep their footing, shielding their eyes as a light shined from everywhere around them. The shaking kept on going, nearly convincing them it wouldn't stop until their bones jumped from their skin.

Gradually, however, it settled from a full-on earthquake to a mild tremor and finally nothing, and when they opened their eyes…

"…ah." Nabooru said before patting Groose on the back when the way was now open. "Well, son of a bitch. Good on you."

"Even I get lucky sometimes." the Skyloftian said with a grin.

They peered over the edge once again. Whoever built this tower clearly hadn't finished it, as there were no ladders or even stairwells leading through the individual levels. In fact, the heroes had a very unnerving feeling of what may have actually happened here when they heard and then saw several ReDeads slouching in isolated areas of the tower.

"Long way down, eh?" Link sighed, rolling his shoulder and sheathing his sword and shield. "Oh, well. Let's get a move on."

And they took off, taking carefully steps as they did so. Every once in a while, a piece of the floor would give way and leave the heroes with a steadily escalating dread of the entire tower collapsing. Even worse was the strange moans coming from somewhere far below them. They didn't know if it was just the distant ReDeads longing to be heard or something even more hideous, but they weren't able to shake the feeling that this tower, whether haunted or in serious need of renovation, had been built for some nefarious purpose.

Said nefarious purpose bringing Link, Zelda, Impa, and even Lana to think about what Skull Kid had led them into. That monument had indeed bore a heavy resemblance to his mask for whatever reason, and they couldn't imagine why. Zelda still stood by her belief that Skull Kid meant them no harm, and she could see that when he helped Agitha, Saria, and Colin work their way down alongside him. An innocent child at heart, but with a mask of treachery looming over him.

Literally. The mask shook again and sent shivers down their spines. Then Zelda of course remembered why Termina had been so difficult to access in the first place. Not to keep them from getting in, but to keep something from getting out. Something that now commanded Wizzro, Veran, and Onox. She thanked the gods it wasn't Ganondorf or Cia or anyone of that sort, but who? Come to think of it, they had seen neither hide nor hair of the three in ages, nor had they even presented that much of a resistance.

Then Link spoke, summing up their worries the best.

"I've got this feeling…what if those three wanted us to follow them?"

No sooner had he said that then they reached the bottom of the tower and exited out into the canyon it was stationed in. To say the least, it was sickening. There was no vegetation whatsoever. Even the Gerudo Valley had some sort of shrub or the odd palm tree, but with an ominous haze blocking out a good deal of sunlight and oddly colored water that one would rightfully assume was toxic, this topped Nabooru's homeland in barren quality by some distance. That was if one ignored the shadow the Stone Tower cast over the land, the crumbling castle on a nearby cliff, and what seemed like a giant music box sitting in a small pond with several Gibdos circling it.

"This land…" Zelda said in despair. "Some kind of curse has swept over it…dear Nayru, this is horrible."

"Jeez, and I thought I lived in a wasteland." Nabooru grumbled. "This is just depressing. Like 'I wanna kill myself just looking at this' depressing.

"No matter. At least we…." Impa started, trailing off when she gazed over her Gerudo companion's shoulder. "What in the world?"

Following Impa's curious stare, the army saw a most unnerving sight, funnily enough not within their current location. Beyond the mountains of what they would later know as Ikana Canyon was a field, and in the center of that field was a town that looked to be in a very distressing predicament.

Seeing the moon so close was not that unusual. In fact, there are many who would call it romantic, but what couldn't be considered romantic under any circumstances was its distance from the ground was far too narrow for comfort, in addition to the fact that…well, it had a face. A face invented solely to induce nightmares, it seemed, and to their dismay, Skull Kid began to get excited and pointed them in that direction.

"There! My friend is at the top of that tower!" he cheered. "Come on, you guys!"

"That tower?" said Midna. "The one with the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life not even fifty feet above it?"

"Yeah! Let's go! Hurry!"

They wanted no such part of it. If anything, they wanted to pack up and go back to Hyrule as soon as possible. Perhaps they could just keep someone stationed at the Temple of Souls and wait for the three dark warriors to appear, then just slay them there. Anything but proceeding deeper into this abysmal place and facing whatever horrors lay within it.

Skull Kid had already made the decision for them, and Volga reaffirmed it while strengthening their resolve as he stepped forward.

"This is no time for cowardice from any of us." he said sternly. "Let's press onward and put an end to this."

He was right. On top of putting an end to the threat that stationed itself there, they had the people within this land to consider, as well. With this in mind, they followed Skull Kid across the field and to the small city of Clock Town, keeping their eyes on the moon as they did so. The entire trek built up their sense of dread as well as their sense of curiosity, and even Link, perhaps the bravest among them, could only imagine.

Who or what was behind this madness and, in the case of the unnerving excuse for a moon, these potential nightmares…and was it just them, or was it actually starting to get closer?

* * *

_**Okay, folks. Get ready. No, seriously. Get the pitchforks and torches ready. You're gonna like me a little less for this if you even liked me at all. Here we go...Majora's Mask is my least favorite of the 3-D Zelda games.**_

_**Darth Vader: "NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"**_

_**Do I hate it? Hell no. I love it. I'm replaying it on the 3DS and having an absolute ball with it, but there's too many small annoyances for me to like it more than the others. For starters, there's only four dungeons not counting the Moon, and in my opinion, only the Stone Tower Temple is great (yes, I'm aware the development team only had a year to make the game). I mean, Woodfall is okay in my eyes, but I found Snowhead kinda bland (aside from the boss. He's epic), and in the words of rabbidluigi, I'd rather castrate myself than play through the Great Bay Temple again. Then there's the whole three-day mechanic which is very inventive, but it's kind of annoying in several ways, mainly because I don't like having to hurry myself through certain sections or else risk having to do it all over again. Trust me, that's stressful. Like, REALLY stressful. **__**The masks were awesome, though, and there are some neat theories regarding the story, especially the one linking the Stone Tower to the Tower of Babel (even though I don't support the "Link is dead" theory).**_

_**Oh, and Ben Drowned? Fuhgeddaboudit!**_

_**Sorry if I pissed you off/bored you with that little rant. Just something I had to get out and give you a warning considering how Majora's Mask has swelled in popularity in the past few years. It does at least have a ton of cool scenarios and interesting characters, and we'll get the grand culmination of that next time. Hope to see you then.**_

_**And on an unrelated note, I'm not wearing pants right now. ;)**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask


	15. The Goddess of Chaos & the King of Evil

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

**The Goddess of Chaos and the Great King of Evil**

The majority of the people of Clock Town had already fled by the time the heroes reached it and began to ascend the tower in its very center. Zelda immediately sent Fi, Volga, and Midna off to look for anyone else that may have foolishly remained behind while the rest of them continued onward.

As they made their way up the massive stairwell after the still-excited Skull Kid, the ominous presence they'd felt since escaping their illusory desert within the Stone Tower started to grow even stronger. It certainly wasn't helped by the small tremors they felt at random intervals, drawing more concern toward the nightmarish moon looking ever so slightly larger than before.

"Seriously." said Mako. "Why does that thing have a face?! What is the point of that?!"

No one knew, nor did anyone know what would happen as they finally reached the top and were deposited onto a massive platform overlooking Termina's lush field, though with the shadow the moon cast over it, it wasn't anything particularly breathtaking, at least not to the extent of Hyrule's own lush fields. Everything about this land just felt wrong in some way, and they could only conclude that some evil force was behind it.

Speaking of evil forces, where were Veran, Onox, and Wizzro? They hadn't expected the three to confront right away, of course, but combined with the fact that not a single monster aside from the Twinmolds had confronted them when they arrived, it made them wonder whether or not this really was where they were supposed to go.

Though that worry was cast aside fairly quickly shortly after Fi, Midna, and Volga returned, saying they were nearly certain that everyone had managed to get away. That was when Skull Kid's mask began shaking even harder than ever before. So much so that he began wincing and crying out in pain.

"What in the world is going on now?!" Impa demanded.

She and her comrades received no answer save for Skull Kid starting to float against his will. Even he didn't know what was happening, but he knew that he wanted so badly for it to stop when he began to feel his entire body burn. He screamed, and at last, Link could stand to watch it no longer. He drew his Hookshot and fired, latching the hook onto an area of Skull Kid's clothes that wouldn't hurt him. With a strong tug, he pulled the imp child backward and into his arms, somehow leaving the mask floating in mid-air.

Skull Kid shook off the pain, marvelling Link and the others who hadn't seen his face with its oddity. He paid no attention and focused only on the mask as it turned toward him all on its own. While the others began to reach for their weapons, Skull Kid stepped forward with the utmost curiosity. In response, the mask floated closer to him. Directly against his finger as he reached out.

And then from within the mask itself…

"Skull Kid…my dear, sweet Skull Kid…you have served me so well."

The mask began to flash a bright violet before it began to sickeningly change shape right before its company. It stretched and swelled until what seemed to be a pair of arms and a pair of legs. Then a head sprouted from the top, and as the light faded, the feminine figure opened its amber eyes. Her body bore all the markings and colours of the mask that she spawned from, and her short white hair drew a hefty contrast to her purple skin. Strangest of all were the numerous colored lines that ran from her forehead all the way around her body. With the rhythm at which they pulsed and shimmered, it almost appeared as if her veins were outside of her skin.

She already had a minor intimidation factor about her what with her being taller than even Volga, but Link and Zelda were the first to notice the sudden change in the aura this place gave off. In an instant, they felt something even more sinister the moment they laid eyes on this woman. Granted, she didn't seem all that threatening when Skull Kid rushed forward to embrace her and she returned it warmly.

"Majora!" he said happily.

"It's good to see you to, dear." Majora replied before suddenly leering at the heroes that stood before her. "And so nice of you to bring some fresh meat, too."

"You were in the mask the whole time?"

A sickly and familiar voice cackled from nowhere, and even Skull Kid seemed shocked when Veran, Onox, and Wizzro materialized at Majora's side.

"Of course." grunted Onox. "How else would she be able to keep you safe?"

Any warmth Skull Kid may have had toward Majora was suddenly cast out as he looked up at her in shock. He certainly wasn't the only one as the other heroes tried to process everything that was happening. First Skull Kid's mask had turned into a woman, and now the three maniacs they'd been hunting just spontaneously appeared alongside her? What was next?

"Majora, what's going on?! What are they doing here?!"

"Oh, them?" Majora said with a smirk. "Just a few friends I picked up. They didn't want to miss something like this."

"Something like…what?!"

Link stepped forward with an almost disgusted look on his face, his eyes landing on each of the villains and then on Majora.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?!" he demanded.

"Oh, you're Link, aren't you?" Majora chuckled to herself. "Quite the cute one I have to say."

She laughed again when Link drew his blade, only succeeding in angering him even further.

"Answer me!"

"Ooo, feisty, aren't you? But if you're that eager to get to know me, I am Majora. I was birthed from your sacred goddesses, and in this land of chaos, I am the eternal ruler."

She snapped her fingers and cocked her head upward, the heroes now seeing that the nightmarish moon was even closer than before, the earth beneath them shaking once again. As if seeing three of their new enemies reveal themselves to be more heavily involved with this situation than they first though wasn't angering enough, now the heroes knew what they had in mind for their first grand scheme. Worst of all was Skull Kid, who indeed had been unaware of the entire thing but certainly didn't appear so with how quickly he had rush to embrace Majora.

"You little runt!" Impa hollered at him. "You led us into a trap!"

"I didn't know, Impa!" Skull Kid cried. "I swear I didn't know!"

Majora laughed again, placing her hands softly on Skull Kid's shoulder and continuing to give the heroes that same evil grin.

"You really mustn't blame him." she said. "He was a mere pawn in my perfect game of chess, just like the rest of you. You see, you lot have something I want. Something that will let me break past my own boundaries."

It didn't take a genius to realize that she was talking about the Triforce, and the heroes now realized how badly they had blundered by opening the gateway to Termina in the first place. The last thing they wanted was her escaping into Hyrule and wreaking the same sort of havoc there. With a swift motion taken rightfully as an act of defiance, Zelda drew her rapier.

"And you will not have it under any circumstances." she said sternly. "We came to halt the invasion of our homeland at any cost, and we aren't just going to turn around and run away now."

"Aw, that's cute." drawled Veran. "You think you're good enough to beat us, is that it?"

The other heroes drew their weapons as well. Their commander had given the order. They were going to take Majora down or die trying.

"Let's get this goin' already!" Mako shouted. "Ain't nothin' or nobody to distract us!"

"Oh, even better!" squealed Majora. "You think all those people are safe from me! That's just precious!"

They really didn't need to hear that, but off Majora went raving about it. The more she spoke and discussed what she had in mind, the more the heroes realized that she may have been worse than even Ganondorf. They could say whatever they wanted about the Great King of Evil, but he never exhibited the same psychotic ticks that this abominable excuse for a deity did.

"Oh, no." she sang. "No, no, no. I'm not so stupid as to let them all go free. I know how that works. I burn their town away, and they gather up their resources and try to fight me off. No, I have a much better idea in mind. Once my little pet comes down to play, we're gonna have one hell of a party on our hands. It'll be a blast."

As absurd as that sounded, they realized what she meant. This moon wasn't just a weight to crush the town underneath it. That would have made it too easy for Majora's enemies. It was far worse than that; with a bomb of that size, not a single inch of Termina would be safe. Everything would be incinerated in the blink of an eye, and by the sound of it, there was no shred of decency holding Majora back.

"Oh, but don't go blaming me." she said. "The people in this land are as far from innocent as possible. Building a tower to try and make themselves on the same level as the gods. I mean, really. I'm just the boot to crush one pretty disgusting ant. I was made to deliver punishment, and so I say to hell with them."

"No!" Link shouted as he led the charge. "To hell with YOU!"

The heroes prepared to strike, only for Majora's body to light up and release a mighty pulse of energy. When the pulse struck the heroes, they felt all the strength they had leave them in an instant and they collapsed. Every one of them, especially Link, seethed in frustration, particularly when their enemy began to laugh hysterically.

"Well, now that we're all softened up, let's get the countdown started, shall we?"

She raised her hand, ready to bring a fiery end to Termina when a small voice called out to her.

"Majora, please! Don't do it!"

The dark goddess looked down at Skull Kid, who seemed more heartbroken than ever. She couldn't really blame him for it, but she certainly didn't sympathize with him. She liked him. She really did, but she had to admit he was becoming far more of an annoyance than she had hoped for.

"And why not?" she asked. "I have the power, don't I?"

What Skull Kid said next would have sounded heart-wrenching to anyone else, especially when he seemed on the verge of tears. He didn't know what to say to her to make her stop, but at this rate, we was willing to try anything.

"You're my friend! And these are my friends, too! Please! Don't kill them! Don't!"

Majora's smile and her touch as she laid her hands on Skull Kid's shoulders made him think that everything was going to be okay, but sure enough, she wouldn't slack on any living thing. Even if this one was just a young boy.

"Friends?" she asked. "You and I? Listen, darling, that's really sweet of you, but you've got the wrong idea about me. I may have taken you in when the giants abandoned you, but you were only ever my servant. I needed you to bring the heroes here so I could wipe them all out. That was it. I'd love for you to keep being my cute little puppet, but judging from how close you've grown to these mortals, especially the bug girl, I assume that's not going to happen."

"You used me?"

"Yes. Don't start crying on me, okay? I'm not in the mood for it."

Then she turned away from him as if he was a piece of garbage. In that brief moment, he suddenly stopped trying to find some way to justify her actions and landed on exactly what anyone would have for her: hatred. She lied to him…used him to try and kill off his new friends. She wanted to hurt people because it felt good to her…and she had to be stopped.

Majora raised her hand toward the moon again, and this time, the imp child rushed forward and seized her. He knew this would accomplish nothing with what she was capable of, but he couldn't just stand idly by while she wiped Termina off the face of the earth.

"What in the…" Majora sputtered as she thrashed against Skull Kid's surprising grip. "Unhand me right now!"

"No! I won't let you!"

Majora broke free of Skull Kid's grasp in a matter of seconds, and with a sour look on her face, she slapped him hard across his own. He stumbled backward and fell flat on his rear end, feeling at the spot where she had hit him and looking up at her with shock.

"Don't look at me like that, you little beast." she hissed. "You can't stop me. You were nothing more than a puppet, and a puppet that can no longer be used is mere garbage."

He knew he didn't deserve help after what he had led them into, but Skull Kid nonetheless looked over his shoulder in desperation. If anyone could stop this rampaging monster, it was them.

"Link! Please! You have to stop her!"

Link pushed himself to his feet once enough of his strength had returned, along with Zelda, Impa, Lana, Mako, and Shanya. Majora had every thought to strike Skull Kid away yet again for daring to try and distract her from her goals, but then she saw the fire in her opponents' eyes. Every one of them was furious at what they had been led into, and how they were still able to stand was beyond her.

Regardless of that, she smiled and whipped her hands forward. In an instant, they morphed into incredibly long, revolting, whip-like tentacles. She lashed them about in a showy manner, demonstrating perfectly that she wasn't afraid to do the dirty work.

"Nothing like a festive little bloodbath to celebrate the occasion, I guess." she said, cracking her neck in a very unsettling manner. "Come on, then. Show me the best Hyrule has to offer."

Link and Zelda ruthlessly charged her while Impa went for Onox, Lana for Veran, and Mako and Shanya for Wizzro.

"No giant Goron to save you this time, Sheikah." Onox snarled as he swung his flail. "Are you quite prepared to fall before me?"

"Your mistake of underestimating me for lacking divine assistance and for being a woman are still present," Impa spat as she nimbly strafed around him and slashed whenever she got the chance. "So I'm going to say no."

Mako drew his knives and slashed heavily at Wizzro, who was still left hurting after their duel in the Era of Twilight. He blocked the Zora's sudden kick, but found himself retreating slightly when Shanya swung her scythe right at him.

"Oh, two against one?" he retched. "That's real fair."

Shanya tapped Mako's shoulder and gave him a supportive grin. He returned it before focusing on Wizzro and cracking his knuckles.

"You're not good enough to warrant a fair fight, pal."

That left Lana against Veran, parrying her black arts and launching lightning whenever she got the chance. By now, the young sorceress was sick of looking at the blue-skinned witch, let alone hearing her speak.

"So you've noticed that fair bit of darkness lingering in your hero's heart?"

Lana winced. Why in the world would she want to know that?

"He's stronger than her. He can keep her out of himself. Why do you care?"

"Oh, it's just curiosity. After all, she was the dominant half, and without it, the inferior would waste away into nothing."

"Well, I haven't. Anything to say regarding that?"

"Yes. Think fast."

The darkness struck Lana and forced all the air out her lungs. Link and Zelda had the sudden impulse to rush to her aid, but unfortunately, they hadn't thought about just how powerful Majora really was. Her "weapons" seemed rather flimsy until Link was struck across the face with one of them. The audible crack made it sound like it hurt, and it did. Badly, particularly when he felt a serrated edge of some sort pierce his skin as the tentacle left it. Even when he slashed against the tendrils in the hopes of wounding Majora, they were as hard as steel.

"What's the matter?" the dark goddess cackled as she rushed him. "You look like you've just about run out of options!"

As she came forward, Zelda ruthlessly fired. To the princess's shock, Majora seized the arrow in one swift motion and slashed with it. Zelda let out one pained scream as the arrowhead grazed across her cheek and left a hairline cut, and nearly vomited when Majora kicked her hard in the stomach. Now fully angered, Link rushed Majora again and clashed with her. She smiled evilly at him as he futilely tried to resist her impressive strength, almost finding it adorable when the fire in his eyes came back tenfold.

But then she noticed something. Said fire in Link's eyes seemed vaguely familiar, and she wracked her mind for anything bearing a resemblance to it. Then she found it and went from amused to shocked and finally disgusted in a fraction of a second. She didn't think such a thing was possible.

"You look like…him…him! Why do you look like him?!"

Before Link could understand fully what she said, she let out an angered roar and wrapped her tendrils around his neck. She lifted him upward and slammed him down, thinking of his resemblance every time she repeated this action. When Zelda finally intervened after recovering from the blow to her stomach, she held her rapier firm and stabbed as hard as she could through Majora's chest.

Then amber eyes full of darkness set on her just inches from her face. In that moment, she realized how big of a mistake she just made.

"How dare you, you prissy little BITCH!"

Such a shriek almost shattered Zelda's eardrums, and the punch to the chest that followed it nearly shattered her ribs. It wasn't just a punch, either. The moment Majora's fist made contact, Zelda felt an small explosion burst from it and send her flying backward.

"Blasted little wretch!" Majora shouted, throwing Link down beside her. "And take your dumb lapdog with you!"

As Link hit the ground beside Zelda, he did his best to try and push himself to his feet, fearing that Majora had sucked all the energy out of him. As he finally regained control of his legs, he felt Zelda grasp for his hand. In that moment, he saw the fear in her eyes. Not for herself, but for him.

"Don't…" she groaned, a trickle of blood falling from the corner of her mouth. "She's…ugh…"

And Link grew evermore furious, rising to his feet with his weapons at the ready. He watched in dismay as Veran struck Lana down, Onox doing the same to Impa moments later. Luckier, though, were Mako and Shanya, the latter telepathically picking Wizzro up and slamming hard against the ground.

"I will not be beaten by some filthy…" the wretched creature started before Mako kicked him hard in the face and knocked him unconscious.

"That oughta shut you up…" the Zora youth spat.

They took notice of Link, who still went on duelling Majora as though he actually had a chance. Every time he looked like he was about to land a hit, Majora parried it and struck with a blow twice as hard. By the time she deposited him on the ground yet again, he could swear that half of his bones were cracked.

"You really like to bug me, eh?" the dark goddess growled. "Perhaps I ought to put you out of your misery right now."

She lashed one of her tentacles, Shanya strafing forward and parrying while Mako helped their superior to his feet. A trickle of red potion down his throat was enough to give him just a bit more strength, and with looks his cadets had on their faces (or what little of Shanya's face he could actually see), they weren't going to let him down anytime soon.

"You two do realize we're pretty much about to die, right?" he asked.

"Kinda." panted Mako, though regaining his confident smile and nudging Shanya. "But hey. We know what we signed up for. If anything, we're not going to turn our backs on our friend."

Link panted out the rest of his pain before showing his gratitude with a smile. In unison, the three turned to Majora with their weapons at the ready, Veran and Onox joining her in short order as she rolled her eyes.

"Really? You're gonna try that AGAIN? Right after I've wiped the floor with you twice over?" she asked.

"You're really cocky." Mako scoffed. "And not in the fun and lovable way like I am. Being a psycho really ain't all it's cracked up to be, is it?"

"What did you call me?!"

Majora roared again, her tentacles thrashing about as the three heroes sank into their ready stance. With their auras working as one, they summoned up the full force of their Focus Spirit. Their sense in high gear, they lunged and swung their weapons as hard as they could. Even Majora was impressed at how readily the heroes blocked and parried her attacks and her two cronies', but she wouldn't find it impressive for much longer.

"Blasted little creatures!" Onox snarled, his draconic teeth showing the shadow on his helmet. "Die already!"

They continued to fight, slashing and striking whenever they could and leaving a fair amount of cuts on Veran and dents in Onox's armour. Majora, however, stood untouched as she effortlessly parried them, steadily losing her patience until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Oh, GET OFF ME!" she bellowed, slamming her fists hard against the ground.

From her body came another pulse, negating the effects of the Focus Spirit and launching all three heroes backward, diminishing their hope every time they flipped. When they finally came to a rest, nothing remained in them but feelings of defeat as Majora gloated over them.

"You don't get it, do you?" she shouted. "I am divine! I see and know everything! I see across all eras of this timeline, and I can read your every move! You're all powerless before me whether you like it or not!"

Thus, she extended her hand, a satisfied smirk on her face as she savoured the taste of another victory.

"I was going to wait until after I've burned this land to the ground, but to hell with it. You're already wasted enough of my time, so I'll just reap my reward now."

And to the horror of Link and Zelda, their pieces of the Triforce flew from their hands and into Majora's. The dark goddess laughed in an almost sensual manner as she basked in the glory of her prize, as did her three companions when they recovered fast enough to witness it.

"Yes…this is pure power. This is what I've been after all this time. And I have you all to thank for it."

"It is beautiful…" Onox said, laughing under his breath at his opponents' failure.

"Great Majora, may you lead us to further victory!"

"Oh, but just two certainly isn't enough. No. I want it all, and I want it now!"

She extended her hand again as her body glowed a golden outline, but as she searched, she found nothing. Her mood swung again. Confusion, then annoyance, then despair, then anger, then rage when she did not find what she was looking for.

"What…damn you all! The third! Where is it?! What have you done with it?!"

When no one answered her, she stepped forward and shouted so loudly that the earth itself began to shake as if subservient to her wrath.

"WHERE IS THE TRIFORCE OF POWER?!"

Those who still had the strength gazed at Lana, who seemed just as confused as they did. She looked at her hand, realizing in horror that her third of Triforce was indeed absent. When had she lost it? HOW could she have lost it? Then she thought backward and recalled Ghirahim seizing her hand. No…he couldn't have. And even if he did, what would he need it for.

Then Link noticed that the two pieces of Triforce Majora held were starting to resonate. Not with each other, but with a distant power. Glowing so vibrantly that it could only signal one who had used the Triforce of Power time and time again.

It could only signal the Great King of Evil.

"Oh, no…"

And far below, they saw a most horrible sight. A dark gateway conjured, appearing with a most ominous sound. Stepping through it came unfamiliar faces and the faces of those that had laid defeated, but now stood as if nothing could harm them.

Twinrova. Zant. Ghirahim. Vaati. Yuga. All gazed up at the heroes with malevolence before turning back to the gateway and lowering into subservient bows. Just as they did, he at last came. Wielding two massive black swords with the stolen Triforce piece glowing prominently on his hand came none other than Ganondorf, the scars of all the battles he had fought on his thick black armour and his tough skin prominent but not hindering him in the slightest. He looked skyward, locking gazes with Majora and forcing up something within her that she thought she wouldn't feel now.

Fear.

"Goddess of Chaos!" Ganondorf bellowed. "Come! Fight me if you have nothing to fear!"

Her companions looking at her expectantly, Majora clenched her fists and bared her teeth. Of course she wasn't afraid of a loathsome mortal like Ganondorf. She wasn't afraid of anything. She looked at the three, then at the heroes, and then scoffed.

"Stay there and be as useless as you'll ever be. I'll be back."

And the four teleported away, appearing before Ganondorf's forces and engaging. With Majora finally distracted and away from them, the heroes got to their feet. Regardless of the leeway they had been given, they had no energy left in them, especially not to take on two armies at once. Ganondorf may truly have been the lesser of two evils in this scenario, with him seeking conquest while Majora sought apocalypse. But if his centuries-long war against Hyrule had taught Zelda anything, it was that even against someone far more dangerous, the enemy of her enemy was not her friend. She couldn't fault Mako for wanting to put a stop to Ganondorf before things got any worse, but they didn't have the time nor (as of now) strength for it.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" the Zora youth half-shouted. "Let's get down there and take him out!"

"No, Mako." Zelda said firmly. "Ganondorf is too powerful for us to take him head-on. Even with our superior numbers, we can't fight him and Majora at the same time. We have no choice."

She turned to Impa, who in turn nodded and raised her voice to exponential heights.

"EVERYBODY FALL BACK!"

And they ran, Skull Kid remaining behind and watching this horror play out before him. As Majora clashed with Ganondorf, Onox with Ghirahim and Zant, Veran with Twinrova and Vaati, and Wizzro with Yuga, he watched from high above. Then he looked at the moon as it continued to edge closer, and he remembered everything.

Cowering alone in the rain…hearing a voice calling out to him…and coming upon a mask on a smiling man's satchel…begging to be set free.

And unknowingly, he had unleashed a monster. He had doomed them all.

Agitha was the only one to take notice of him as he fell behind, quickly running back to him and taking his hand.

"This…this is all my fault." the imp child whimpered.

"Skull Kid!" the bug princess cried. "We must go! Now!"

She tugged him along, the two of them rejoining the group of heroes just as they made it out of Clock Town. The villains continued to duel each other, Zelda directing the heroes as far away from them as possible. They had no idea where they were going, but anywhere was better than there.

"And just where do you two think you're going?"

Link and Zelda froze in fear when Ganondorf materialized before them, reaching out his claw-like hand. Link prepared to draw his blade despite knowing full well he was powerless against Ganondorf without the Master Sword, but it turned out he didn't need to do anything. The moment Ganondorf sensed the Triforce no longer dwelled in either of them, he lowered his hand and grunted in disdain.

"Go on, then. Flee. I can come after you later."

Then he turned away, returning his attention to Majora as Link and Zelda ran as fast as they could. Majora herself took notice of the fleeing heroes and felt her rage peak again.

It was time. Time to bring Termina to a fiery and bloody end.

"You are a fool, Princess Zelda! You, your goddesses, and your precious hero! Look above you! If this is something that can be stopped, then just try to stop it!"

And with a roar that echoed across the land, Majora delivered the moon's final disturbance as its eyes lit up. It spoke, its mouth remaining closed but echoing something about a desire to consume all that lay before it. Then it began to slowly descend toward the earth, building up into a great ball of fire as it did so.

And all the heroes could do was watch and wait for their doom, not to say they didn't try their hand at escape.

"LANA, GET US THE BLAZES OUT OF HERE!" Impa shouted above the whipping wind.

"I'm trying!" Lana said back, sparking her hands but to no avail as the earth began to endlessly rumble beneath them. "Majora's blocking my magic somehow! I can't conjure a gate!"

"We have to stop this somehow! There's must be something!"

"There's nothing we can do! We're all out of time!"

Little did they know that final word echoed in their leader's mind and stirred up memories of a past self of sorts.

"Time…"

There had been one who could manipulate time, and he had done so with nothing more than a song. She produced the Ocarina of Time from the folds of her dress, fearful tears dropping from her eyes as she brought it to her lips.

"Good goddesses above, let this work…"

And with no hesitation, Zelda blew into the mouthpiece and let the Ocarina of Time's notes glide amongst the wind. An echoing and majestic song filled their ears, and Lana's barrier suddenly became stronger. Within Zelda's mind, places and people from their times and others flashed by. They had time hopped enough throughout the past few days, but they couldn't warp back to their version of Hyrule and risk Majora trying to follow them.

They needed to further amass their army and do it somewhere that Majora couldn't reach them. At last Zelda found a place that held potential. A vast sea with many lush islands within it, and a great tower at the very center.

As she made this confirmation and the Song of Time swelled higher, the heroes faded from Termina's reality. And then they gracefully fell through a white twisting tunnel of what seemed to be translucent clocks. They felt no unease nor danger, and they only thing they could do as they abandoned the doomed land was close their eyes and wait for it to be over.

Majora held a great disappointment and rage that her enemies had escaped, but what good could they possibly do, anyway? Her allies looked up at the falling moon in absolute glee, letting out triumphant roars as the giant rock finally made contact and sent a fiery shockwave across the land as it burst. The flames ate up everything they touched from the emerald grass to the blue seas to even the snowy mountains.

And the screams. Oh, the screams. Music to her ears. Such destruction was almost like an art form of its own. Termina was the canvas. She was the perfect artist reshaping it in her ideal image, and the blood would be the perfect paint.

"Oh, what a day. WHAT A LOVELY DAY!"

* * *

It seemed Majora had drastically overestimated her abilities, not that it was any surprise. Making his way back to Clock Town as the moon was falling was a young boy carrying a golden mask in his hands. After all he'd gone through to get it back from the sickening ne'er-do-well that had stolen it from him, he wasn't about to let everyone down.

Especially not her. Never her. He made a promise to her, and he had every intention of keeping it.

"Please…you have to be there."

Alas, as the fire in the sky crashed into the lonely town and he heard the dying screams of all the people he'd come to love, Kafei realized that he was too late. He shielded his eyes as the wave of fire from the impact washed over the land, incinerating everything it touched and quickly coming toward him. As he felt the heat start to lick his skin, he thought of the one he'd promised to be with. The one person among the dead that mattered the most to him, and as the wave of destruction reached him and he swore he heard her calling out for him, he screamed her name.

"ANJU!"

All of a sudden, the heat stopped and everything went silent. Wondering what had happened, Kafei opened his eyes and looked on in horror at what Termina had become. No life remained. Nothing remained but a burning cratered wasteland. Everyone and everything he loved was gone…and it was all that little monster's fault.

"Damn him…I'll kill him!" the youth said under his shaky breath. "I swear to the goddesses I'll kill him!"

He didn't know if he had time for vengeance. He didn't know anything anymore. Everything he knew was gone. His family, his friends, his home, all the beautiful sights…and the woman he loved.

If only he hadn't hidden when Skull Kid cursed him to the body of a child. If only he had faced the problem head-on and gotten Anju to understand. If only then…

"I…I could have saved her…"

He fell to his knees and let the tears fall, angrily bashing the barren ground with his hands and cursing the wretched little creature that had done this to him. He wept for his mother and father, he wept for his friends, and he wept for the woman he loved.

And the weeping didn't go unanswered as Kafei suddenly heard a soft melody behind him. He didn't have time to look toward the source before a piercing sensation ripped through him. He screamed as his entire body started to burn. He heard his bones crack and he suddenly lost all of his senses. Had death simply taken its time to let him soak in the sorrow? Had fate decided to be crueler to him than was necessary?

No. His senses returned, kicking into high gear as he felt his bones start to lengthen. He screamed again, his voice steadily growing deeper until it reached a familiar adult tone. The pain reached one last peak before Kafei was deposited onto the bare and ashy ground. After giving himself a few moments to try and calm down, he looked down at himself as he stood. He stood taller than he had moments ago, and as he let out a light cough, it sounded soft yet deep. He was his old self again, and before him lay oddly enough a mask in the shape of his face.

But it didn't matter. There was no one there to see him…

…or was there?

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you, Kafei?"

Kafei jumped to his feet and spun around, intimidated in a millisecond by the towering armoured figure standing before him. The armour…the white hair…the blank eyes…truly the mark of a frightening and ruthless warrior.

"W-who are you?!"

The Fierce Deity smiled, his strange blade anchored firmly on his shoulder as he continued to look down at the distressed youth.

"I have heard your cries of anguish, Kafei, and I see what Majora has done to your home and your family. Such suffering should befall no one, let alone someone who has lived their life solely for others."

"What are you saying?!"

"What if I told you there was a way to bring it all back?"

Then Kafei would be willing to do anything and serve anyone, but could he really trust someone such as this? Someone he knew nothing about?

Behind the swordsman stood three figures vastly different from each other. The first was a large and admittedly ugly goblin-like creature with green skin and tall horns toting a massive axe. The second was a shady man with his hair done up in a ponytail, a metallic gauntlet on his left arm and a veil covering the bottom half of his face. The third figure was a handsome boy that wore a violet tunic with a striped blue scarf trailing behind him, a large bag slung over his shoulder.

"They too desire justice in their own way." the Fierce Deity continued. "Each of them has had their desires intruded upon and ruined, and they will strike down all that oppose you if you so ask it of them. They and I. All I ask in return is that you follow us wherever we may go and deal justice to all that would disrupt the lives of the innocent."

Something very empowering to hear, and something Kafei didn't need to think twice about. The Fierce Deity offered his gloved hand to the youth, letting him sense the mysterious power he held within him. He thought of Anju, his one true love. The one he valued above all else. It hurt to know that she was gone. It hurt enough to end him, but the hand before him offered a way to bring her back, and if that was even close to true…

"What say you, Kafei?" asked the Fierce Deity. "Will you stand with us and have your vengeance?"

The look Kafei gave him was all he needed, and the blue-haired youth dropping to one knee, bowing his head and placing a hand against his heart in fealty only confirmed what he had been hoping for.

"If there's any way to undo what has been done…then I will follow you to the end of the earth. I don't know who you are, but I beg you. Help me to destroy the one that has destroyed Termina."

"I shall. Rise."

Kafei rose, his weapon appearing in his hand in an instant as he looked at his four new companions and nodded, standing alongside them as they marched across the ruined land. The Fierce Deity looked at his companions. Kafei. King Bulblin. Byrne. Ravio. Warriors forgotten over the passage of time, but nonetheless ready to stand against any that would impede their path to justice.

Then he thought of the other heroes that had escaped just in time, most of all Link. A brave youth…and one that deserved his special recognition. But was he worthy to strike down Majora?

All would reveal itself in time, he decided as he clenched his fist.

"Let's hurry on. We aren't the only ones seeking retribution for this madness."

* * *

_**And the true mastermind of chaos reveals herself, and now we have four factions fighting against each other! Sure to be exciting, and sure to be a bit of pain writing them all to be relevant.**_

_**Nevertheless, tune in next time and we journey to another favorite era of Hyrulean history. Friends, the wind is about to be awoken...**_

_**Yeah. I just said that, and I'm already embarrassed by myself. And how's that obligatory Mad Max: Fury Road reference treating you?**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends


	16. Refuge on Dragon Roost Island

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

**Refuge on Dragon Roost Island**

As she finally came to after what felt like an eternity of unconsciousness, Impa was surprised to find herself resting on a soft bed of sand. She gripped it, letting it run cleanly through her fingers as she pushed herself to a sitting position and took a good look around. Before her lay a beautiful blue sea, unlike any body of water she had ever seen before.

As she stood and turned, she found herself gazing up at a large mountain, several tunnels and caves etched into it, and even what seemed like a small settlement. At the top of the mountain was a husky but otherwise majestic dragon that seemed to pay no attention to her, instead keeping his eyes fixated on the sea before him like the protector he was.

It at least calmed Impa to know they were out of Majora's reach, at least for now. To her dismay, however, itseemed as though the army had been separated after falling through the time passage. Link, Zelda, Lana, and very nearly all the other heroes were nowhere to be found. Among her small numbers were Volga, Ruto, Rusl, Midna, Agitha, Nabooru, and…

"You deceptive little beast!" the Sheikah general shouted.

Skull Kid flinched as Impa stormed toward him and practically screamed when she seized him by the collar and yanked him high off the ground. He thought he'd never be more afraid in his life when Majora had brought Termina to a fiery end, but now he was being blamed for it (perhaps rightfully so) by a woman who was very scary when angered.

"You had that monster with you that whole time and you didn't tell us! Damn you!"

"I didn't know, Impa! I swear!

"Do you realize what you've done?! DO YOU?!"

Skull Kid honestly thought that Impa screaming at him was the worst this could possibly get, but she drew her massive blade and point it right at him. The anger within Impa was unmatchable; after all this little monster had done, there was no reason for him to exist anymore.

"Impa, that's enough!" Nabooru shouted as she seized the Sheikah's wrist and quickly disarmed her. "Let go of him right now!"

When Impa clenched her grip on skull Kid, Nabooru wrapped her arm around the Sheikah's neck and throttled her until she finally let up. Skull Kid scampered away from her the second he touched the ground, and Impa herself stumbled backward when Nabooru let her go. The Sheikah turned to the Gerudo, enraged with her interception and throwing a heavy roundhouse kick at her head that Midna caught with her powerful locks.

"Don't wanna make the locals think we're a bunch of raging psychopaths, do we?" the Twilight Princess asked before cocking her head toward one of the tunnels.

Indeed, several of what they supposed were the island's natives began to reveal themselves, wearing the same garbs a normal Hylian would wear, but most normal Hylians didn't have beaks where their noses should have been, nor could they morph their arms into wings as the heroes now took notice of. Nevertheless, one of the strange bird-people (likely the chieftain judging from his regal attire) stepped forward with a look of surprise.

"I beg your pardon," he said. "But would it trouble you if I asked how you got here?"

The heroes remained silent until Ruto stepped forward. From royalty to (assumed) royalty, she placed her hands on her hips and stood strong.

"That depends on who is asking, and where we are."

The locals looked at her with a mixture of surprise, fascination, and complete awe. The chieftain at once let a smile form across his lips as he gave Ruto a courteous bow.

"We, princess Ruto, are the Rito, the people of the sky. And we welcome you to our home, Dragon Roost Island."  
"You know me?"

"Milady, you and the other five Sages are legend here. Your age was so long ago that we presumed the stories about you and your comrades were just that."

Ruto rightfully raised her brow in confusion and looked at the chieftain like he was insane. It didn't take long for one of the heroes to come to the inevitable conclusion.

"Looks like Zelda sent us time-hopping again." Rusl said with a sigh. "Lucky us, eh?"

"So where exactly did you come from?" asked a stern Rito at the chieftain's side.

It was Nabooru's turn to speak, and she didn't notice until after she'd begun speaking that the Rito were all giving her odd looks. When she did, her words trailed off.

"We can't really say how we ended up here. I don't think you'd believe us...what?"

"It's just that…well, you are a Gerudo." said the chieftain. "Of all the races that survived the Great Flood, the Gerudo were surely the last we'd expect."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me doing anything. I may be a thief, but I like to think that I'm an honest one…wait, what was that about a flood?"

"When the Great King of Evil returned after the Sages sealed him away, the Hero of Time did not return to stop him. Thus, the goddesses sent their people to the mountains and flooded the great kingdom of Hyrule. At least five hundred years ago, that was."

More confusion, another hero coming forward.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Midna asked. "Five hundred years from the Hero of Time's victory was when another hero rose to defeat Zant."

Now it was the Rito's turn to be confused. Impa had already drawn a proper conclusion after enough time to think the whole situation over.

"Not just another era," she thought to herself. "But another passage of time altogether."

Such thoughts were far too much for them to ponder for the time being. For now, they would need information on this new era they had ventured into, and they certainly wouldn't get any by standing around and feigning incompetence. Ruto stepped forward once again.

"We don't want to trouble you anymore than we already have, but if we could stay a while just so we can figure out what to do with ourselves, we'd really appreciate it."

The chieftain smiled and gave them a short and respectful bow.

"It is no trouble at all. We've plenty of room. You may stay as long as you need to. Quill, if you could escort them inside."

The stern-looking Rito nodded and motioned for the heroes to follow him into a tunnel leading higher up the mountain. As they moved along, they noticed that they were one member short, and they looked over their shoulders to see Skull Kid trudging away from them. He sat on a log close to the water, looking out at the horizon for a moment before he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his folded arms.

They couldn't tell for sure, but the subtle shuddering and the barely audible sniffs were signs clear as day, and they knew the reason right away. Impa looked around at her companions, waiting for the first person to step toward Skull Kid in an attempt to comfort him. All she got was a dirty look from Nabooru.

"Don't look at me. You're the one who tried to kill him."

And now Impa felt guilt start to creep into her subconscious. Her lack of trust in everyone had only served to forge deep divides between them, and now she knew it. That was before she considered the possibility of Link, Zelda, and Lana being in more danger than they could handle. Though they certainly weren't average warriors, they were nowhere near as mighty without their pieces of the Triforce. And not only did the true enemy prove too much for them, but their most notorious enemy had made his return on a massive scale.

Any way she looked at it, they were falling more and more into a hopeless situation, and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

"Oh, man, is he still out there?" Nabooru muttered.

To be fair, everyone was worried about everyone else. Rusl in particular worried for Colin, though knew the boy had gotten out of some fairly life-threatening situations on his own before. So long as one of the others was with him, he'd certainly be alright. Ruto worried for Saria and Darunia, especially the latter considering he was in more of a bad situation with such an abundance of water. Most of all, everyone worried for Link and Zelda, their two hopes in this madness.

The Rito had treated them to a magnificent feast and had given them comfortable sleeping quarters, but they could not erase the dread both Majora and Ganondorf had left lingering on them. Two great evils and no way to combat them had that effect on just about any that dared to battle it. Still, they decided to focus only on what lay before them, and Skull Kid having been outside in the same place for hours on end had been the focus for a number of them.

Quill entered the sleeping quarters, giving them a short bow before speaking.

"I trust this room is to your liking." he said.

"Yes. Thank you very much." said Midna. "We're just having a few setbacks in our ranks is all."

Quill followed their gaze and sighed at the imp child as he continued to wallow in his guilt. It was like Quill to be concerned for just about anyone he came across, and Skull Kid was no exception regardless of whatever atrocities his actions had resulted in.

"Shouldn't someone go out there and talk to him?" he asked. "He's your ally after all. He shouldn't be left on his own."

"Spoke too soon, Quill." said Nabooru with a grin as she looked out the opening again. "Looks like someone beat us to it.

Agitha had already been looking out at Skull Kid repeatedly over the past few hours, and she finally couldn't take it anymore. When she was sure no one was watching, she slipped away and made her way back out to the beach. Her footsteps were so light and quiet that Skull Kid even realize she was there until she laid a hand on his shoulder. Their eyes made contact, though Skull Kid turned away in an instant. Even if Agitha had come to show him her unyielding compassion, he couldn't accept it. Impa was right. This was all his fault.

"They all hate me, don't they?"

She couldn't give him a straight answer, instead digging out the little scraps of food she'd taken while no one was looking. He took them and started to eat, but they tasted like nothing to him. He wasn't even aware of how hungry he was, for his shame had vastly outweighed it.

"They don't hate you, Skull Kid." the bug princess said as she brought her hand to his cheek.

"Impa does."

"No, no. She just…needs some time to cool off is all. She's had it very rough from what I've heard."

He looked at her for about a second before turning back to the ocean. They sat silently for a few more moments before Agitha's curiosity got the better of her.

"Skull Kid…there's something I have to know. Don't get upset, but…why did you trust Majora?

He looked at her again, and she half-expected him to scorn her for asking such a thing. But he didn't. He couldn't. It was like Majora herself ahd said; he'd grown far too fond of her to hate her in any respect. The tough part was mustering up a response that wouldn't make him sound selfish. Nevertheless, there was no sense hiding anything from her.

"Because she said she was my friend, and all my other friends abandoned me."

Agitha listened intently as Skull Kid told his story, growing more and more enraptured as he went on.

"I used to be friends with a girl and her brothers. They'd always come outside to play with me when I came to visit them. I didn't have anyone else to play with, and I always lived alone, so having friends like them that always had time for me…it just made me happier than ever. They'd even let me stay in their house sometimes when I was too scared to sleep outside on my own."

Memories of them returned to him, and a smile formed on his beak. He remembered all the hugs the girl would give him whenever he came around, and all the games they'd play. Skull Kid himself had been a master of hide-and-seek, on top of entertaining them with his music. Such fond memories of a time long gone by…and they now gave way to the inevitable.

"But then the brothers were changed into giants. They were supposed to protect Termina, so they had to leave. They didn't even talk to me about it. They just…left. They left me and the girl all alone. I stayed with her for as long as I could, but…she…she got really sick, and…"

And thus came the tears like two tiny waterfalls, though he wiped them away before Agitha could see them. He'd tried to shut out that memory for as long as he could, but it remained in his mind for as long as he had been away from home.

"I don't know what came over me…I just got so angry. I got angry at the brothers for leaving me, and when I saw that people were worshipping them like gods, I got even more angry… I even attacked some of them. Then the giants came back and told me hope mad they were at me, and if I did anything else to hurt the people of Termina, they'd kill me themselves. I was so scared that I just started running away, and I didn't look back for even a second."

The bug princess couldn't imagine such a thing and felt all that much more for her imp companion, tensing her grip on his shoulder and edging slightly closer. He didn't even notice.

"So I went into the woods, and before I knew it, I came out in the Kokiri Forest in Hyrule. There were other people like me there, but I still stayed by myself. I was alone for so long, and then Saria found me. She told me that I should go back home and try to make new friends. She told me I shouldn't be afraid to meet people, and I should keep the fond memories of my old friend in my mind and nothing else. So I went back…but everyone still remembered what I'd done to them, and they rejected me."

The story now took a haunting turn. Agitha had been waiting for the part where he met Majora, and when he finally got around to it, it truly served to send shivers up her spine.

"And then there a man passed me one day in the forest, and I heard someone calling to me. Asking me to free her from the prison he put her in. I knocked him out and dug around until I found…her. She asked me things about myself that I'd never told anyone, and she said she'd always be there for me. She said that she'd protect me…and I actually thought I could trust her."

The guilt overwhelmed him yet again and he hid his face from Agitha as he finally began to sob.

"But now everyone's beaten….Termina's gone…and it's all my fault."

He had expected to be left to wallow in his sorrow for trying to defend his foolish actions, but Agitha's sudden and warm embrace spoke otherwise. He felt confused as strange feelings for her flared up within him, whether as a reaction to her unyielding compassion or the culmination of their close companionship. All he knew was that the anger and sadness toward himself was gone the moment she laid her hands upon him, even more so when she spoke.

"No matter what anyone says," the bug princess said in a near-whisper. "I'm still your friend. Majora may have broken her promise to you, but I won't. I'll always be with you, okay?"

Skull Kid said nothing, instead letting his actions speak for him as he turned around in his seat and hugged his friend as tight as he could without hurting her. He didn't understand how she could just ignore his hand in this catastrophe, but he blessed her for it. He needed this…he needed her.

"I know what it's like to feel alone." she said. "My mommy and daddy died when I was about six and I've had to look after myself since then. Not a day goes by when I don't miss them, and even all the bugs in my kingdom can't fill the void they left."

She parted from him just enough that she could look deep into his eyes with a smile that charmed nearly everyone she met, and one could be sure it charmed Skull Kid. At long last, he smiled as she spoke once more.

"That's why it feels so wonderful to be around so many friends. They make me feel complete…most of all you."

"I feel the same." Skull Kid said, interlocking his fingers with hers. "I'm always gonna be with you, too, Agitha. I promise."

They seemed ready to get closer to each other when a small spot of light landed on the back of Agitha's hand. Then another on Skull Kid's. Soon, dozens upon dozens of fireflies nestled on and near the two of them, dancing about like tiny stars. Skull Kid and Agitha made eye contact yet again, unsure of who or what had decided to make their moment evermore soothing, but they thanked it nonetheless as they embraced yet again.

They were unaware that Impa was watching them from her own isolated spot a little ways higher on the mountain. A spot where she was almost sure no one would track her down. After Nabooru's harsh words and breaking her and Skull Kid apart, the Sheikah wanted to stay as far away from her company as she could for the time being. Just like Skull Kid had, she felt unwelcome. Most of all, she worried for her still missing companions. In such a vast sea, there were only so many they could be.

All this weighed heavily on her, and she was fortunate that someone came along to break her tension. The only thing that surprised her was who that someone was.

"Quite a place to sit alone and ponder to yourself."

Impa hadn't imagined Volga would show any interest in speaking with her after the display she'd wrought on everyone, but then again, he wasn't one to get intimidated by anything. As he sat next to her and followed her gaze, she sighed and looked away from him.

"My fury has just been getting in the way of everything. Nabooru doesn't trust me, I doubt Skull Kid will come anywhere near me now, I don't even know if the princess is alright…ugh, I hate myself right now."

Volga sighed and did perhaps the most interesting thing Impa had seen him do in recent memory: he took off his helmet. Matching his short beard was his slicked back blonde hair. The black marks that ran down his cheeks circled around his eyes, making it look like he had never slept in his life. His eyes themselves were off a fiery red colour, but were oddly magnetizing nonetheless.

"In all honesty, I was hoping to be by myself as well." he said. "You really seem to be the only one I feel inclined to be around."

"You mean…"

"You were hoping I remember that time you ran through the caves to escape the Gerudo. It should please you to know that I have."

It had been after Impa had fled her village at her mother's request. She'd taken a shortcut through the Eldin Caves, hoping to escape the Gerudo there only for them to follow her. Just when it seemed like she was about to be cornered, he appeared. His fire and combat prowess was too much for the desert dwellers, and they'd been forced to turn back while a young Impa made her escape.

Impa herself had only just remembered it upon laying eyes on Volga again. During Cia's invasion, she could hardly believe that the monster that had attacked Link just outside Hyrule Castle had been the same being that saved her decades before. Granted, his hostilities had been against his will, but she certainly had a hard time shaking those uneasy feelings.

"That's just so strange to me." she said. "You don't look any older."

The dragon knight smirked.

"One of the benefits of being what I am. I can say much better for you."

"How do you mean?"

"I mean you've become one of the finest warriors I've ever seen. I suppose that's to be expected from a Sheikah, though. You've even improved from that last time we fought."

She didn't need or want to be reminded. Under Cia's influence, Volga had been less of an honourable warrior and more of a rampaging monster, and Impa would have likely met her end by his spear had Link and Zelda under the guise of Sheik not rushed in to save her. Regardless, she smiled. She wasn't used to such flattery, let alone coming from someone as fearsome as Volga.

"It's nothing, really. It's all for Zelda's sake."

"You show such loyalty to her." the dragon knight said as his interest grew. "It can't just be master and servant. She treats you too well for that. I take it there is an emotional bond, as well."

More than he knew.

"There is. For a time, I saw the princess…I saw Zelda as something akin to a younger sister. Once I reached Hyrule Castle, the king took me in as my mother said he would. He spoke with me about being raised to become a guardian for Zelda. She couldn't have been more than five years old at the time."

She remembered it fondly. She and the king had been discussing the arrangements they would make for her in the dining hall when the door had opened to reveal a five-year old Zelda in her nightdress. It hadn't been long since her mother had died, and she'd likely been unable to sleep thanks to a vivid nightmare about it. The moment she laid eyes on Impa, however, she became utterly curious, likely because she'd never seen a Sheikah before.

Impa herself was curious as the young princess scampered up to her and asked so many questions at once. What was her name? Where had she come from? Why was she there? By the time the king brought Zelda back to bed, she and Impa had become nearly inseparable.

"I took her out sightseeing, I told her stories about my people, I tucked her into bed at night…we became like family. So you see, her survival is my priority, as is her happiness. I don't matter in the long run. My people existed solely to keep the Royal Family of Hyrule safe from any that would bring them harm. That was their purpose, and it is mine. Without Zelda, I would be nothing."

Volga smiled and sighed, prompting Impa to give him a curious look.

"What?"

"You and I are alike in far more ways than I thought, Impa. We are both bound to our duty, and we forsake any happiness of our own."

"I suppose so. That isn't to say I haven't thought about my own happiness. It's just not a priority in most circumstances…or any, really. What about you? You aren't exactly itching to get out and see the world from what I hear."

Volga laughed lightly. Very perceptive, this one. Then again, it was hr duty to be.

"I've seen the world a million times over. I've had my fill of it. I'd think you'd be a bit different."

"Oh, underestimating me because I'm a woman, are you?"

They locked eye contact as smirks started to form on their faces, a sudden sound drawing their attention upward. Perched atop the mountain's peak was a massive (and slightly obese) red dragon, smiling down at the two warriors when they made a grab at their weapons.

"Well, the island is called Dragon Roost," muttered Impa. "So I'd be a little disappointed if there wasn't a dragon somewhere."

The dragon released a light call, Volga grunting in mild interest when he understood perfectly.

"It would seem he wishes for a demonstration of our strength for his own entertainment."

The warriors looked at each other again, Volga quickly regaining his smile and pointing his smoldering spear at his Sheikah companion. He was ready as always, and though Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Hell didn't scare him in the slightest.

"To be honest, a quick duel could perhaps soothe your soul if only for a moment." the dragon knight said. "But then again, I'm sure you're tired after all that's happened as any mortal would be…"

"Pardon me, Volga," Impa replied with a devilish grin. "But be happy with those words. They may be your last."

With that, Impa drew her massive blade and anchored it on her shoulder. The warriors made eye contact and mentally prepared themselves. Though her mind was focused on the battle at hand and still lingering on earlier woes, she blessed Volga for being the one to come and comfort her in her time of weakness. For a dragon knight that lived for the thrill of battle, he certainly knew the words to soothe one's soul.

But now he'd stirred up the words of friendly competition, and Impa was happy to return the favour.

"Alright, then. HAVE AT YOU!"

They clashed, swinging relentlessly at each other with determined smiles. All at once, Impa felt her spirits lifted as she and her dragon companion swung and countered each other, leaving no room for error in any of their movements. Both were impressed at each other's strength, and neither one was tired even after what felt like several hours.

Neither one was aware as they fought that some distance away, a ship was approaching the island.

* * *

_**Now who could that be? **_

_**Brief disclaimer: as you can tell, I am not addressing the added Wind Waker chapters of Hyrule Warriors Legends because it's not out yet, although as you can also tell from the not so subtle hint, one character that will be making her Warriors debut in that game will be appearing in this story.**_

_**And yes, I am aware that pairing Impa with Volga may be a little odd since neither of them really look like they're on the market, but why not, right?**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors


	17. Trust in the Forest Haven

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

**Trust in the Forest Haven**

The last thing Mako was expecting to see when he finally woke up was about a dozen stubby little creatures with leaves for faces looming over him in frightened curiosity. He didn't scream or even sit up. He just arched his brow, trying to make sense out of what he had just gone through. He remembered falling, and Majora laughing like the lunatic excuse for a deity she was, and…

"Oh, good." Saria sighed. "Mako's awake."

Mako sat up and looked at who remained of his company. Saria, Darunia, Colin, Groose, and (to the majority of his relief) Shanya. There were no signs of the others, let alone Link and Zelda. He concluded that he had nothing to worry about since even without the Triforce of Courage, Link was a force to be reckoned with. But the obvious question remained: where in the world were they?

He certainly couldn't draw a conclusion even after looking around a while. They seemed to be in some tall wooden tower that splintered off at the top above them, letting the moon beam down on them. Within the tower and indeed where they sat was a small forest, a very tall tree sitting in the center of it with pools of pure water surrounding it.

Or rather, him.

"Welcome, weary travellers." the tree chuckled. "I must say you made quite an interesting entrance."

"Wait a minute…" Saria said as she approached the tree.

The Kokiri stepped onto a large nearby lily pad, which the tree immediately raised out of the water with his root, She looked upon his face for a moment, a spark of familiarity welling up within her until she finally spoke.

"Great Deku Tree?"

"I am, indeed, but if you are who I believe you are, then I am not the one you are thinking of. I did, however, sprout from one of his seeds."

Saria looked downcast for but a moment before several of the stubby creatures landed on the lily pad to get a good look at her. One of them, whose face took the shape of a redbud leaf, began hopping up and down in excitement.

"Why, ma'am!" he beamed. "You are a Kokiri!"

"Yes, I am. My name is Saria."

The creatures grew even more enthusiastic, and some of them even crowded around Darunia despite him being perhaps the most intimidating of all their visitors.

"Not that I don't welcome praise," said the Goron chieftain. "But where exactly are we?"

"Great Sage Darunia," said the Deku Tree. "This is the Forest Haven, and those you see before you are my beloved children, the Koroks."

The Koroks bowed to their visitors, and the visitors themselves finally let down their guard. They kept wondering what had happened to their allies, but they decided to put it past them for now and just be grateful that they were still alive after what they had just seen and been through. And where better to calm down than a tranquil place like this?

"So we're famous here?" Saria asked.

"Indeed." the Deku Tree replied. "In our time, you and the other Sages are legend, as is the Hero of Time. I am curious as to why and how you are here, but I hardly think it matters. If you are in need of temporary refuge, I assure you will find it here."

Saria smiled and bowed before the Deku Tree, remembering the one in her time and confirming the apple (or rather seed) hadn't fallen far from the tree. Surely this was that tree's spawn, or else why would he harbour such wisdom and kindness?

"Thank you, Great Deku Tree." she said with the utmost gratitude.

The Korok that had scurried up to Saria cautiously nudged her to get her attention before he spoke again.

"If it would please you, Miss Saria," he said. "My name is Makar, and I happen to be a musician myself. The famous song you were said to teach to your friends is legendary here, and I was wondering if you would like to play it with me."

"My song is famous?" Saria said with a laugh. "Who'd have thought…but sure! I'd be glad to play it with you!"

She produced her ocarina, with Makar produced an instrument that looked like a violin but better resembled a cello with the way he held it. She smiled as he held his bow at the ready, but turned her head to the other Koroks beforehand.

"Just a fair warning. Darunia gets a little energetic when he hears lively music, so…yeah, you might want to back up."

The Koroks heeded her warning and backed a slight distance from Darunia, though she encouraged them to back up a little more before she and Makar began. Within moments, Saria's song filled the Forest Haven with life as did Makar's accompaniment. The Koroks jumped all about in their excitement while four of the other five heroes watched with smiles on their faces as the notes began to cause flowers to bloom all about and make the green of this lush forest even greener.

Saria hadn't been wrong regarding Darunia, though. The moment the song entered his ears, a big goofy grin stretched across his face and he began to dance faster than most people would assume a Goron could move, let alone one of his size. His arms were up, his feet were flying all over the place, and after several loud cheers, so was Darunia himself. He luckily managed to keep himself in check so he didn't end up destroying anything, but it was still quite a sight to behold, and really something only someone who witnessed it could fully describe.

As the display went on, however, Colin and Groose noticed they were one party member short when they looked over their shoulders.

"Hey, where'd Shanya go?" asked Colin.

They looked through the nearest passage outside and spotted her looking out at the sea with her arms crossed. Mako followed their gaze and smiled at her until he saw and felt that his two companions were starting to grow overtly suspicious.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Mako, where exactly did that girl come from again?" Groose asked.  
"She didn't say…well, she COULDN'T say, but I think she's a Gerudo. Don't quote me on that, because I'm not a hundred percent sure. It doesn't matter, though. She's on our side."

"You sure about that? I mean, yeah, she's a damn good fighter and she had our backs the entire time in Termina, but that's no excuse for her not to talk and maybe tell us something useful, is it?"

In spite of how much sense Groose was making, Mako stubbornly jumped to his companion's defense without a second thought.

"Oh, shut up. She's just a little reserved, that's all."

"Hate to say it, buddy, but there's reserved, and then there's conniving."

"Come off it! This isn't a good time to start doubting each other. Even then, what would Shanya have to gain from betraying us?"

"Well, I wasn't gonna mention this, but did you notice how Majora was looking at her while the two of them were duking it out?"

He hadn't, but he had an irritating feeling of what Groose was about to say.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love more than anything to trust her right now," Groose continued. "But I dunno. It almost looked like Majora was…"

Mako didn't wait to hear anymore. He stormed off before he had the nerve to make the confrontation physical, leaving Colin and Groose to look at him in pitying dismay. They couldn't expect him to believe such a thing with how close he and Shanya were, and they would be the first to admit that they would likely have jumped to the defense of their loved ones if someone accused them of such scheming.

Little did they know, however, that Groose's words had stuck with Mako, and he immediately veered toward Shanya when his suspicions got the better of him. He knew it wasn't right to doubt a friend, but if she wouldn't speak, even Saria and Darunia would start getting suspicious of her. In fact, who was to say Link and Zelda didn't already have the same thoughts wherever they were?

"Shanya."

She turned to him, smiling sweetly at him before turning back to the ocean. Mako stepped alongside her and tried to get her to look him in the eyes. She wouldn't.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" he asked.

No answer. She didn't even turn to look at him when he spoke. Already getting panicked and frustrated, Mako forcibly took her shoulder and turned her toward him. Her smile faded into a surprised frown when she noticed the look he had. One of desperation and pleading. Such a thing from a friend was painful to witness, especially when he believed there was a simple way for her to satisfy him.

"Shanya, please!" he said. "You need to stick up for yourself! They're all starting to think you're gonna go and stab us all in the back! Please! If you're not gonna do it for yourself, then at least do it for me!"

She smiled again, this time in an almost despaired manner. Then she did something that Mako never in a million years thought she would do. She reached up, grasped the edges of her hood, and lowered it.

Mako found her porcelain skin and bobbed red hair strangely appealing to him, but the state of her face was shocking on just about every level. Two yellowed bandages were wrapped around her head, the spots covering her eyes caked in blood. She was blind. It was a horrific and saddening sight for Mako as she took his hands and brought them up to her cheeks. She felt cold at first, like all the warmth had gone along with her eyes. Then she brought his fingers to the space between her lips, and he felt something even more distressing. String. Her mouth had been sewn shut.

"Good goddesses…" he gasped. "Who did this to you?!"

And then her beautiful voice echoed in his head. He had indeed heard her speak to him this way before, but they had previously only been faint whispers as if she didn't want anyone to overhear. Now it was clear to him with emotion and everything.

"My people. The Gerudo. They punish traitors very violently."

"Traitors?"

"When they found out I wanted to join the Hyrulean Army, they beat me nearly to death and left me bleeding out in the middle of Hyrule Field. They blinded me so I'd never find my way to the castle, and they stitched my lips shut so I wouldn't be able to call out for help."

"Damn monsters. Who do they think they are?"

"They abandoned the goddesses and have thus been punished on their own accord. But please don't ever think of me as anything like them or the monster that spawned them. I have always been and always will be the friend you've treasured all these years. Do you understand?"

He did, but that somehow wasn't enough.

"Why don't you do the same thing with everyone else? They're already getting antsy about you. Groose and Impa especially."

"I'm sure my competent fighting for them has proven enough to them."

"Well, yeah, it should, but I'm not sure it is. Impa's kind of a tough person to please. You saw how she just kind of exploded at Skull Kid when we figured out what he did…speaking of which, Groose said you and Majora were kind of starting each other down. Is that true?"

For a few moments, Shanya said nothing. She seemed to freeze at the mention of that name, and Mako scanned his mind for anything that might imply. Regardless, she dissuaded it in an instant and finally managed to calm his nerves with her glowing smile, raising her hands and gently clasping his cheeks. Even if she had no eyes, Mako felt as if he was looking directly into her soul.

A warm and loving soul, almost like that of an elder sister.

"Mako," she said softly. "All that matters is that you trust me, and I trust you. What anybody else thinks doesn't matter to me, nor should it matter to you, okay?"

Mako would later learn that he had been flushing bright red, further proof that he was less skilled with speaking to women than he tried to let on. Nevertheless, he felt warm to his core the longer Shanya held onto him. Her scent was absolutely infectious. He couldn't even tell what it was, but it smelled an awful lot like the same sort of incense he'd smelled on Nabooru before.

"You sure know how to cheer a guy up." he said.

She laughed and released him, though kept her arm draped over his shoulder as she turned back to the ocean. Somehow it felt right to him, but that still left the obvious question.

"So, uh…what are you actually doing out here by yourself?"

"Oh, just looking out at the ocean. It's quite beautiful, don't you think? Especially with the moonlight reflecting off it."

It was, and it stretched on for as far as the eye could see. Mako understood why she'd find such a thing so fascinating. All the tales of the Gerudo Desert he'd heard were enough to deter him from ever wanting to go there, and he pitied anyone and everyone he travelled there let alone lived there. It was things like that that made him realize he'd taken Zora's Domain for granted with just how beautiful and lush it really was.

"I've always wondered…" Shanya spoke up. "What's it like being able to live underwater?"

Mako finally managed to crack a smile. Speak of the devil.

"Tell you the truth, I never really gave it a whole lot of thought since I've lived in it all my life, but it's pretty nifty. I guarantee you'd get a kick out of feeling light as feather and just darting all over the place."

"I can probably bet. I'd have to learn how to swim, though."

"Hey, if we ever get back home, I'll gladly teach you."

She shot him a coy look…or at least he would have liked to imagine so what with her sweet smile.

"I'd like that."

Mako's heart started to beat like a hammer as they faced each other. Against his racing thoughts, he stepped forward and let Shanya gently grasp his shoulders again. He could never really admit to having been in love before. He'd certainly had crushes, most notably on a Zora girl he knew from his childhood and of course Zelda, but genuine love was beyond his young understanding. If this was it, and what was happening as Shanya drew herself closer to him was what he thought it was, then…

"…Shanya?"

"Yes, Mako?"

"Left shoulder."

In a swift motion, Shanya drew one of Mako's knives, spun around, and threw it headlong at Wizzro's raised hand. He shrieked as the blade pierced his palm, pulling it out in a fraction of the time it had been embedded in his skin and throwing it away.

"You really are a worthless piece of slime, you know that?" Mako spat at him as he picked up his misplaced blade and drew his second one. "You know there are these things called moments? People like us have them and we really appreciate not getting interrupted in the middle of them. How the hell did you even find us, anyway?"

Wizzro sneered.

"What, you thought you could get away from us? From Majora? Don't be so naïve, boy!"

Shanya drew her scythe, again rendering herself mute. At least this time it made perfect sense to Mako, as they shared the same idea on the battlefield. Slash first, ask questions never.

"Besides, what hope do you have?" Wizzro cackled. "Your heroes are scattered, and your spirts crushed. We've just come to finish the job, and then we'll turn our attention to that great oaf Ganondorf."

"Not to compliment him or anything, but I'm pretty sure he could kick your ass in a second. He wouldn't even have to swing those giant swords. He could just step on you and you'd be begging for mercy, and that's beside the fact he's got five total psychos along with him."

Wizzro snarled and prepared to fire upon the two when he heard a very familiar growl behind him.

"Starting the party without us?" Darunia said with his mighty hammer anchored on his shoulder. "Not nice at all, brother."

Seeing Darunia challenge him was bad enough on Wizzro without Groose, Colin, and Saria standing there ready to tear him a new one. As everyone expected once he had failed his sneak attack, the wizard backed down, but didn't leave without issuing an empty threat.

"Know this, you fools. Majora knows every move you and your descendants will ever make, whether in one stream of time or another. You haven't a chance in the world. Challenge us again if you must, but I can assure you that you won't live to see another sunrise if you do."

"Okay." said Mako. "I think we got it, but just in case…run that by us again. I wasn't listening."

With a shout of anger at Mako's cockiness, Wizzro vanished with a snap of his fingers. Groose promptly looked at Shanya, surprised she had lowered her hood and even more surprised to learn the truth.

"Jeez, you've been blind this whole time and you've still kicked a load of ass?!" he said. "Damn, was I wrong to be suspicious about you or what?"

Mako shot Shanya a smirk which she returned before raising her hood again, and at that point Saria stepped forward with the information they had been gifted with.

"You should be happy to know that we've figured out what to do."

"Perfect timing." Mako sighed as he put his blades away. "Let's hear it."

"The Deku Tree said that he saw three lights when we got here. One was us. One went south and the other went north. He said that if he's right, the southern light should have landed on a place called Outset Island."

It wasn't much, but it was at least a tiny step in the right direction, and that was all they really needed.

"So how do we get there?" Mako asked. "We sure as hell ain't swimming."

Saria looked ready to answer when she suddenly looked like she saw a ghost. Mako tilted his head in curiosity when she grunted in interest and followed her gaze. In that moment, each of the other five heroes grew just as bewildered as a great ship started to approach the island as if on cue.

"Huh. How 'bout that?"

As the ship docked and its crew introduced themselves to the heroes, Wizzro watched like a spider in a web, snarling at Mako and yet grinning at Shanya. He trusted her. Her above all else, and he had no idea.

"Let's just hope Majora's little trump card lives up to our expectations."

* * *

_**Yeah, so we kinda have another filler chapter set aside for character development, and one more after this. But Outset Island. Now who could possibly be hanging out there waiting for Link to come visit them?**_

_**Oh, and apparently Twilight Princess HD is all but confirmed...hell yeah.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess


	18. Family on Outset Island

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

**Family on Outset Island**

At a sudden sound, Link steadily woke up to find himself in a warm bed. Everything flashed through his head at once, and yet he breathed a sigh of relief at the realization that whatever Zelda had done had worked. Speaking of Zelda, the moment he turned his head, he found himself staring directly into her bright and smiling face as she dabbed a cold compress on his head.

"Hey there, sleepyhead." she said softly. "You got quite a bump on you."

He didn't have any idea what she was talking about, but he was just glad to see she was alright. Then he remembered what had happened and looked down at his hand. The Triforce of Courage. A relic he'd held onto since his childhood. Something he'd had for some unexplained reason, and he just went and lost it again, this time to a maniacal and rebellious goddess.

Oh well. Dung happens, he sighed.

"Is everyone else alright?" he asked.

"It's just you, me, Fi, and Lana here." Zelda replied.

That was probably the last thing he wanted to hear at that particular moment, and he immediately tried to sit up only for Zelda to hold him down. In his weakened state, she easily pushed him back down, and it was then he noticed that his torso was bare, a bloodied bandage around his chest.

"Don't worry." said Zelda. "They're alright. I can feel it."

"I think we need a little more than blind faith after what we've seen."

"You're right, but when have I ever been wrong?"

He hated to say it, but…

"Trusting Skull Kid, unfortunately."

"I'd call him a victim of circumstance. He really did seem like he had no idea what he was getting into. Besides, the last thing we need right now is a rift among our own ranks, especially when we're scattered."

The door into the warm and comfortable home opened, a kind-looking old woman stepping in and smiling at the two as she did so.

"Oh, good, he's awake." she chuckled. "Looks like you were right to keep watch over him all night, dear."

Link raised his eyebrows and looked over at Zelda with a smirk. Zelda herself blushed and turned away from him the instant he did so. He'd pester her about it later. Goddesses knew he'd have to.

"Thank you again for taking us in on such short notice." said Zelda. "I just wish we could repay you somehow."

"Oh, don't worry about that." the old woman said. "Never in a million years would I turn my back on someone in need."

Link finally managed to sit up and stretch out his muscles as the old woman handed him a bowl of soup. He wasn't even aware of how hungry he was until the aroma snuck into his nostrils. Without any hesitation, he began wolfing down as much of it as he could, nearly choking on it and forcing a laugh out of Zelda and the old woman.

"Easy there, Link." said Zelda. "You don't want to go killing yourself after we just barely survived that last encounter."

He understood that, but he couldn't deny how delicious the woman's soup was. She took it from him the moment he was finished and smiled.

"Well, now you're even more like my grandson than I thought. He's got just as ravenous an appetite as you."

"Your grandson?" Link asked.

"Yes. He's almost thirteen now. He wears the same green tunic you do. It's a tradition on our island to give boys the tunic of the Hero of Time to wear to show they've come of age, so you can well imagine my surprise when he went out and saved us all."

"I see. Is he here?"

The old woman sighed, her smile taking on a subtle change. A small yet subtle display of pride and sadness.

"Unfortunately no. He's off exploring the world. He drops by every once in a while to see how me and his sister are doing, but we don't see him much anymore. Ah, not a day goes by where I don't wish he was still that little boy I'd tuck into bed at night."

The words hit Link a bit harder than the old woman knew, and he felt an instant connection in that small timeframe. A woman missing her grandson. He probably missed her just as much if he was only that old, and when Link thought of such a thing…it made him miss that which was missing. People he couldn't remember.

"Is your granddaughter still here?" he asked.

"Oh, yes." the old woman said. "Her name is Aryll. She and your other two friends are out playing with the gulls. She was waiting for you to wake up so she could introduce herself. If you're feeling up for it, you can go see her if you like."

Link was up and out the door without any hesitation. He shielded his eyes from the sunlight, and when his vision focused again, he was marvelled at what he saw. Only a few small houses were dotted along the cliff face of this massive island, but each one was as warm and welcoming as the next. A pathway scaled up through a small canyon, leaving up to an unfinished suspension bridge which in turn led to a lush forest. A faraway deck led to a tall viewing platform, and as was to be expected of an island, there was water as far as the eye could see.

Link couldn't help but smile in wonder at this beautiful place, closing his eyes and taking in the cool ocean breeze. If he had to quit the soldier life and live anywhere, he was nearly certain that it would be here, this place he would soon know as Outset Island. He didn't care if it would throw time itself out of alignment. This place felt so homely that he felt it was nearly warranted, and that wonderful feeling increased when he saw Lana and a young girl crouching down side-by-side and feeding the seagulls that came waddling up to them.

Lana looked up and waved at Link with a beaming smile. Link waved in turn, and then the little girl who he assumed was Aryll looked at him too. Her hair was tied back in two tiny pigtails, and she wore a blue sundress with a pink flower stencilled onto it. When they made eye contact, something clicked in their minds, Link more so than Aryll could possibly think. He couldn't explain it right away, but for a brief moment, the little girl was all he could see.

…naturally leaving Link to nearly jump out of his skin when Fi suddenly popped up right in front of him.

"I am satisfied to learn that you have regained consciousness, Master."

"Yeah, yeah, same here. Thank you, Fi…" Link sputtered once he had a chance to get his breath back. "But for Farore's sake, please don't do that."

"I apologize, but I see you are confused regarding our current situation."

A bit of an understatement, but Link nodded. Fi proceeded to look around for a moment, her eyes settling on the ocean before offering her conclusion to her master and his regal companion.

"Based on the presence of a great sea that does not exist in any previous time period, combined with the information provided by the locals and how Princess Zelda had stated she selected any era she could find, I can confirm that we have not just entered another time period, but another stream of time altogether. One in which Ganondorf returned after his defeat at the hands of the Hero of Time. Said hero had been sent back to his youth to regain the seven years he lost in hibernation, and as a result, there was no one to impede Ganondorf upon his return."

Link couldn't make any sense out of that. If he remembered correctly, the Hero of Time had informed the Zelda of his time what Ganondorf had planned, and he was arrested and promptly banished to the Twilight Realm soon afterward. The Hero meanwhile left Hyrule altogether in search of a very close friend, and by the time Ganondorf made his return, the Hero of Twilight had already been well on his way to stopping him.

"I see you are pondering the implications." said Fi. "Reality however is like a river. It splits off into different paths, all alike in one way but different in many others. While you normally dwell within the timeline of the Hero of Time's childhood, this is the one he left behind when he was returned to his youth. One where the gods intervened and brought their people to the mountains before letting torrential rains devastate the land beneath."

For all of Fi's fancy talk, that last bit made sense to Link in a way he hoped he'd never hear.

"So Hyrule's gone…"

The depression lasted barely a second, for Aryll had chosen that time to walk up to him. Her look of curiosity stretched into an adorable little smile. In an instant, Link returned it and got down on one knee to make himself level with her. Neither of them noticed Zelda smile expectantly as they continued to look into each other's eyes and wonder why the felt so comfortable. Link especially. He didn't understand why Aryll had caught this much of his interest. They were born on separate timelines. They never knew each other before, and yet when he looked at this innocent little girl, he felt comforted. He felt like she was his family. All the family he had left.

Thus making it no surprise to Link or Aryll when the two shared a tight hug. No hesitation and no resistance to each other. Hugging like a brother and sister that had been apart for

"I don't even know you…but this just feels right." he whispered.

"Um…is it okay if I call you Big Brother?" she asked.

It sounded like she was expecting him to say no almost right away, but he didn't have it in his heart or mind to do so. Not when he knew she was missing her real older brother. Not when Link himself had the same void in his heart. He parted from her, keeping him smile firm on his face before bringing his hand to her cheek.

"Absolutely."

Aryll smiled and hugged Link again, and that gave way for a great deal of time with the two of them and Link's other three companions sitting on the beach and talking about all sorts of things. Aryll spoke of her real brother and the adventure he had been on, initiated by her abduction by a monster called Helmaroc King. It surprised Link to learn that Aryll had spent a great deal of time working with pirates. Not stealing or kidnapping or anything of the sort, but more just helping around the ship and even getting a pair of girls back home.

"Quite adventurous, aren't you?" Zelda said with a smile.

"Mm-hm!" Aryll chirped in response. "Not as adventurous as Big Brother, but I like to think so. So did you all come from the future?"

"Something like that. It would take too long to explain. All you need to know is that we're sort of just here taking refuge."

"Is Ganondorf back?"

Another surprise. They hardly expected an innocent girl like her to have witnessed Ganondorf, let alone even know anything about him. Nevertheless, hiding the truth from her would do them no good.

"Yeah." said Lana. "He is. But it's okay. He won't be following us here. We're safe."

She thought that until she remembered the dilemma Link was in, feeling her darker half calling to her from within him. She still had no definitive answers as to why Cia was there or what she was planning on doing with Link. Would exorcising her make things better for them? Could they even exorcise her? Was she even aware that clinging onto Link would just make their inevitable parting more painful?

It was at that moment something clicked in Lana's mind, just as Link gave Zelda an affectionate look at felt his chest cramp up again. She realized what exorcising Cia would entail. If the sorceress was this desperate to remain with Link, it was very likely parting them could bring him serious injury and quite possibly kill him, and even if Link remained, someone else would have to go.

The lesser half could not exist without the greater.

At least Aryll's grandmother finally came outside and called to them. Otherwise, Lana suspected she be pondering to herself in a deep state of depression for the rest of the night.

"Aryll! Time for dinner! Bring your friends inside, too!"

"Okay, Grandma!"

The soup Link had scarfed down hadn't been a fluke, it seemed. Aryll's grandmother really was a fantastic cook that could give even those that worked in Hyrule Castle's kitchen a run for their money. The stories on the beach continued while Fi volunteered to keep watch outside. Link honestly tried his hardest to look as respectable as possible when eating in front of both his hosts and his commander, but he didn't even know how long he'd been unconscious, and after a while, that really started to take its toll on him.

Zelda couldn't blame him, though. She and Lana were just as hungry as he was and were grateful beyond words to Aryll and her grandmother for taking them in. Nevertheless, the princess remained thoughtful and pondering, Aryll speaking up and only adding to it.

"So where do you plan on going after this?" Aryll asked.

Zelda wasn't sure, but it seemed Lana was. She knew perfectly well that she could beam them back to Termina (or rather what could possibly be left of it) and try to take on Majora again, but she and her companions knew that was suicide. They needed reinforcements, and despite having some of the kindest people they'd ever met, it really looked like Outset Island had nothing of the sort with the only remaining warrior being Orca, who while looking a lot like the wise old man the island had made him out to be was unfortunately far too old to fight a rogue goddess.

"I felt something out there." Lana said. "There's something somewhere out there with a great amount of temporal energy leaking from it. I'm not sure what it is, but if we can get there, it might get us back in the game. No promises, but…"

Fi choose that moment to interrupt, and the news she brought was somewhere between alarming and promising. Alarming likely because of how convenient it was.

"Master, there appears to be a ship approaching the island."

They were all outside the moment she said that, and true to her word, a massive ship was already docking at the island. The black flag with a skull and crossbones fluttering at the top of the mast didn't exactly instill positive feelings in them, but what Fi said next certainly did.

"A new positive regarding the situation. All of our missing comrades are aboard it."

Indeed. Mako, Impa, Shanya, and all the other had scrambled off the ship's deck and were now piling onto the beach, all relieved to see their commander in one piece. Zelda caught a brief glimpse of Skull Kid hiding behind Agitha and sighed. She still didn't blame him for what happened, and his fear only cemented that decision. The other warriors parted way almost immediately for a young girl wearing a typical pirate garb but still looking the part of an elegant leader. With a strange smirk and wink combination, she eyed the final four warriors of Zelda's army.

"I guess Mako was right to say you lot would be hanging around here. Good place to relax, though, I'll give you that."

Link, Zelda, and Lana rightfully stood with their brows raised, wondering who in the world this pirate captain was supposed to be, let alone who she thought she was. They were even more surprised when Aryll suddenly went rushing to her and her rather beefy first mate.

"Tetra! Gonzo!" she cheered.

"Hey there, Aryll!" the captain said. "How've you and your grandma been holding up?"

"Great! Kind of missing my brother, but…"

Tetra stepped forward and put a hand on her young friend's shoulder. They maintained eye contact, Aryll feeling more lively the longer her pirate friend smiled at her.

"Chin up, okay? He's a greater warrior than any of us could ever imagine. He'll be back with you again soon."

Aryll nodded before Tetra crossed her arms at the four remaining warriors.

"Don't worry. Your friends filled me in on your situation. As long as you've got a heading, I'm right with you."

"You're sure?" Lana asked. "This isn't exactly going to be a cakewalk with the way things have been working out for us."

"Hey, do I look like the type to miss out on something as big as you're letting on?"

She certainly didn't, and they knew in that moment that there was no arguing with her even if she (and they) had no idea what to expect. After a while longer of conversing and trying to make sense out of this whole ordeal, the warriors piled onto the ship with Link and Zelda staying behind for a brief moment as Aryll came running to them. Despite how little time they had spent together, Link couldn't help but feel saddened that he would be leaving her so soon. He got down on one knee and put his hands on her shoulders, smiling at her and trying to make their parting a little less depressing.

"Link, let's go!" Tetra called. "We've got a good wind going! We don't wanna miss it!"

"Gimme a second!" Link replied.

Aryll was already starting to get choked up. Her real brother could have been halfway around the world for all she knew, and now someone that looked ready to take his place was all set to leave as well. She knew it would be selfish to stop him, but that wasn't enough to keep her from choking out "You have to leave?" Link nodded. He wasn't happy about it either. How could he be?

"I can't tell you how much better I feel about myself having met you." he said softly. "I grew up without a real family, and looking at how close you are with your grandmother makes me realize how precious things like that are."

In one swift motion, he removed his beautiful scarf and draped it over Aryll's shoulders. She caught his scent. All the blood, sweat, and tears of the battles he'd dragged himself through were fresh on the fabric, and yet it was a piece of him she'd remember him by forever. They shared another hug, revelling in each other's presence before inevitability caught up with them and Link finally stood.

"We may have only known each other for a short time, but I hope I see you again soon." he said.

Before he could turn and head toward the ship, Aryll took his hand. At this point, Tetra was really starting to get impatient and made her way to them.

"Look, I get that you guys are attached, but really. We've gotta go. Like, now!"

"Big Brother," said Aryll. "You said that we only spent a short time together but it still felt wonderful beyond words, right? Then let's keep it going."

She held her head high, knowing she'd meet with some resistance but not caring either way. She looked at her grandmother, who knew perfectly well what she was going to say and accepted it nonetheless. With a nod that was quickly returned, Aryll looked at her elder companions with pure determination.

"I'm going with you!" she said boldly.

"Aryll, don't be silly." said Tetra. "I know you're a brave girl and all, but your grandma needs you here. Besides, you don't even have a weapon."

Both seemed like fair points, but the latter was quickly debunked when Aryll reached into the pocket of her dress.

"I'm not sure how much it qualifies, but I do have this."

She produced a thin and yet beautifully crafted metal rod. As she moved it ever so slightly, the winds themselves seemed to shift along with it. Only a small handful of the warriors noticed the sudden change in the air, and even fewer were able to determine what the object was based on that.

"Sweet Nayru, is that the Wind Waker?!" asked Mako. "Where'd you get that?!"

"My brother gave it to me before he left. He said to keep it safe until we saw each other again. I'm not really sure what help it'll be, but I wanna be with Big Brother no matter what!"

Link smiled and sighed. He supposed he had no right to stop her from accompanying them, nor did he have the heart. It wasn't his decision to make, but he and his companions weren't the only ones that would feasibly have any objection. As he thought that, Aryll's grandmother walked to him and took his hand.

"Aryll is a child that must follow her heart above all else." she said satisfied and yet strangely somber. "The world is hers to explore and discover one way or another. As long as you promise me you'll bring her back safe, I have no objections."

Link nodded. It was an oath. A promise of the highest degree that Aryll would return to her grandmother in one piece. A life like the one he led wasn't meant for someone who came from a peaceful place like this, but if she was going to help them on their quest, he would be there every step of the way.

"I promise. No harm will come to her as long as I draw breath."

She accepted that response whole-heartedly and embraced Link before he and Aryll scrambled onto the boat. Tetra nodded and called out her orders.

"Okay! Darunia! Hoist anchor! Groose! Shanya! Full sail, and we're off!"

The massive ship pulled away from the dock, and before the warriors knew it, the pleasant wind had carried them a great distance from the island. Link smiled with satisfaction at their army being whole again, but kept his thoughts going at a breakneck pace. What was this location Lana had referred to? Were they actually safe from Majora and Ganondorf? And most importantly, who could they find to assist their cause?

And then when he made eye contact with Aryll's grandmother still watching them and smiling from the beach, these thoughts rushed out and he felt a sudden weight on his heart. He'd never felt anything like it before and doubted he'd ever feel anything like it again on this sort of level. It felt like a loss. Soon Aryll's grandmother would be a fleeting memory in Link's mind, and every time he thought of that and the longer they maintained eye contact, the more he began to think about what he had just walked away from.

But he had a duty to end the chaos Majora and Ganondorf were likely to reap. He had to forget about his own happiness. As a soldier, he was inclined to ignore it and focus on the happiness of others, and that was what made him think of how she must have felt letting her grandson and now her granddaughter venture away from her.

In an instant, Link thought of his own past growing up without parents or siblings, wondering about them if they were still alive or even if they cared where he was. As the sad memory and his thoughts of Aryll's grandmother conjoined in his mind, he extended his arm skyward and slowly waved to her, hoping she'd see him from this far away. She had, and began to wave in response. Link wondered if her grandson had done the same thing when he left on his own adventure across the ocean. Then he became envious. Envious of Aryll and her brother for something beyond their control or his. But one couldn't blame him for now taking the time to sit and brood to himself.

At least Aryll's family had cared enough to return to her.

* * *

_**E is for emotional, ruins everybody's day. M is for miserable people. O is for on the dark side, 'cause we have some fresh cookies! ...yeah.**_

_**Okay, so that Direct. Number 1, Twilight Princess HD. As I said last time, hell yeah! Number 2, Cloud in Smash. Don't know how, but I ain't got no objections. Number 3, Rule 63 incarnate a.k.a. Linkle. **__**Goddammit, Nintendo! You make a character like her when the story's just over the halfway mark?! How the hell am I supposed to stick her in now?!**_

_**In all seriousness, I think Linkle is actually pretty cool. Firstly since she's her own character and not just a female version of Link, secondly because her weapon looks pretty inventive, and thirdly...well, just look at her! She's bloody adorable! The only think I don't like about her? Her name. Come on, Nintendo and Tecmo Koei, you're more creative than that.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker


	19. Warfare on the Great Sea

CHAPTER NINETEEN

**Warfare on the Great Sea**

With Lana's detection being their only heading, Tetra's ship continued north in the vain hope of finding something. At this time of night, most of the warriors had retired to the ship's interior while Tetra's first mate Gonzo manned the helm. Tetra remained at the ship's bow and Aryll at the crow's nest to keep a lookout for any incoming opposition. It had come as a shock to just about everyone that Wizzro had somehow managed to follow them, implying that Onox and Veran couldn't be far behind. For now, Majora's army wasn't the main concern. If anyone was going to take advantage of the fact that they were in foreign territory, it would be Ganondorf, someone they knew could pass through gates in time just as easily as any of the heroes themselves.

Link meanwhile stood leaning against the railing, unable to sleep what with resentful thoughts of the parents he never knew still running through his head and the anxiety that Ganondorf might drop in on them at any second. He was happy that Aryll had accompanied them and had spent a good deal of time talking to her about her real brother, but now he desired time to himself to just look out at the ocean and hope for the best.

"You're not going to get any sleep?"

Link looked over his shoulder just in time to see Zelda taking a spot right beside him. He didn't know or really care whether or not she'd been waiting in the cabin for him to head off to bed. Of all the people that would come to see him, he was happy it had been her, and she had been right to worry about him.

"I think I got enough already." he said, trying to avoid eye contact for whatever reason.

"You and Aryll seemed to really hit it off."

"Yeah. Even in a different stream of time, Hylia's chosen hero comes back every time the people need him, even if they don't know it. Why not give him a sister that loves him more than life itself?"

"You're jealous of this era's hero, aren't you?"

He didn't know how she managed to work that out. He hadn't changed any factor of his voice enough to give it away (to his knowledge at least), but then again, he supposed he was just looking for sympathy. He cursed himself for his selfishness, but nonetheless mustered up a satisfactory response.

"Well, yeah." he said. "You can't say you aren't, either."

"Oh, I am. Not a day goes by when I don't miss my mother and father…wait, you're not jealous of me, too, are you?"

"How can I not be? I never even knew my mother and father. My earliest memory is waking up all alone out in the field when I was about seven."

He gave a sad half-smile. It wasn't that bad a memory. More confusing than anything else, and that had also happened to be the day he met Epona, who couldn't have been much more than a foal then. Epona really had been the only one he could come close to calling his family what with the two having grown up together, and the more Link thought about it, the more he wished she was there with him.

"I was just thinking…why?" he said. "Why would my parents just leave me like that and never ever think to come looking for me? I don't even know if they're still alive."

"Well, you never know." Zelda replied in a manner hinting at her desire to comfort him. "They might be looking for you."

"At this point, I think that's just hoping against hope. And that's coming from me, the guy who never supposed to give up. Hell, even Aryll's brother doesn't have a mother or father. Honestly, it looks to me like that's the fate of Hylia's chosen hero, to grow up without a whole family or even one at all."

Link didn't even realize he wasn't wearing his gloves until Zelda placed her bare hand on his. The sudden warmth tingling against his skin made him jump, and he turned his head to meet the princess' smile. A sweet and inviting smile that he knew well and made him adore her a little bit more every time he saw it.

"It's really not worth beating yourself up over." she said softly. "The best thing you can do is treasure your closest friends as if they're your family. That's how Impa and I have been doing it ever since we met. I don't think of her like a bodyguard anymore, but more like an older sister."

She may not have been letting on to it too much, but Link perceived it was more than that. Zelda had of course lost her mother in her infancy, and Impa had done all the things for her that one would expect a mother to do. Even more apparent was all the stress being the ruler of a nation put on Zelda and how Impa was one of the only things keeping her afloat.

"You have people like that, too, right?" Zelda continued. "You know Mako told me he joined the Hyrulean Army because he sees you as his idol. You're like an older brother to him and Shanya. Ruto honestly can't get enough of you, Fi sticks to you like a fish to water, and I know Darunia calls everyone 'brother', but he really does mean it. And of course we don't need to mention Aryll. The fact that your comrades value you as much as they do is a testament to how close you've all become, and it's those bonds that you need to treasure above everything."

She had been raised to rally the spirits of her soldiers, making it no surprise when Link started to cheer up the moment she started speaking. And she was right. Their comrades looked up to him just as much as they looked up to Zelda herself. They relied on him to lead them to victory, and he relied on them to be there to help him whenever they could.

And when Zelda spoke next, it only made Link cherish these happy thoughts even more.

"Besides," she said, tightening her grip on his hand and raising her other hand to his shoulder. "If all else fails, you know you still have me, right?"

He flushed bright red, a subtle thought telling him to look away from her. He couldn't. She had utterly entranced him, and in hindsight, he didn't think there was a single better feeling in the world. He remembered the day she had looked down on him in the training yard, their eyes meeting and unknowingly pairing them for a great adventure to come. He remembered all the encouragement she had given him over said adventure, and it made him feel happier than he had ever been.

It didn't matter that his family was gone. She was there, and she was all he needed.

"So were you really watching me for that long while I was sleeping?

"Of course. Someone had to keep watch over you in case something went wrong."

What a time for him to nearly spoil the moment.

"You didn't get me out of my regular clothes, too, did you?"

And there came the colour rushing to Zelda's face as she sheepishly looked away from him. She had done so in order to tend to his wounds, and she would be lying if she denied having been marvelled at how chiseled he was despite a somewhat overly youthful appearance.

It didn't seem to matter too much when he laid his other hand on her cheek. In that instance, the entire world faded from the conscience, leaving to gaze longingly at one another. They found themselves growing closer, meek smiles forming on their faces and the colour in their cheeks intensifying as they began to feel each other's breaths. Link's heart started to race as Zelda closed her eyes, anticipating his next touch. He was fully prepared to go for it when…

"Damn it!" he growled as his chest seized up again, the pain buckling his knees and forcing his hand to his heard.

"Link, what's the matter?" Zelda asked in a rightfully alarmed tone.

He couldn't tell her about Cia. He didn't need her getting even more concerned for his safety, especially after such a nice conversation. As soon as the pain subsided, he shook his head.

"I'm fine…it's nothing."

Zelda didn't seem convinced, but as if Link's sudden pain hadn't already brought their moment to a screeching halt, Aryll called out from the crow's nest.

"There's another ship out there! And it's coming toward us!"

Tetra snapped to attention and drew her telescope as Link and Zelda joined her by the helm. The ship Aryll had taken notice of was black as the night, its single sail being the only thing bright on it. It snaked through the water like a hunting shark, but the thing about sharks was that they were largely solitary animals. Very little if anything accompanied them, let alone five demonic fiends and their infernal master.

The second Tetra saw who was aboard the ship, panic hit her like the waves below and she jumped for the alarm gong.

"ALL HANDS ON DECK!" she hollered as she struck it. "Everybody up and at 'em! We've got an emergency here!"

Awake and alert almost right away, the warriors rushed out from wherever they were sleeping and quickly filled up the deck, many of them immediately asking what in the world was going on. What Zelda said was all that they needed to kick their senses into high gear.

"Ganondorf has found us!"

Not two seconds after she shouted that, Ganondorf himself gave the order, and his ship's cannons began firing. They were still a fair enough distance away that the ship wasn't struck, but as the heavy balls of iron came shooting far too close for comfort, the heroes' dread turned into pull-on panic.

"Tetra, get us the blazes out of here!" Impa bellowed.

"Got it! Everyone hold on tight!" Tetra hollered. "GONZO! GROOSE! FULL SAIL!"

Gonzo and Groose were about to spring into action while Darunia mounted the catapult and Rusl, Nabooru, Impa, and Shanya manned the cannons. As they were about to open fire, however, the ship shook. With a collective "Oh, what now?!", the heroes looked for what could have caused the tremor, seeing perhaps the last thing they wanted to see out on the open ocean.

A gigantic whirlpool, and as a result of becoming its captives, both ships began to slowly circle toward each other.

"Oh, you have gotta be kidding me!" Tetra growled in frustration. "That does it! Cannons! Catapult! FIRE!"

Against ever-changing odds, the heroes prepared for combat, though stumbled as the ship shook against the current again. A number of the heroes slipped toward the edge, with Nabooru barely hanging on and nearly falling to her doom had Impa not seized her wrist in time. It was kind of surreal to be rescued by someone who had such a strong grudge against her race, but considering that she'd probably drown even without the whirlpool thanks to having no idea how to swim, she wasn't complaining.

Twinrova led the charge, volleying blasts of fire at the ship's hull with Ruto and Saria casting their water and wind to fizzle them out. Vaati stirred up the wind, the sails on both ships blowing about and even starting to come loose. Link practically had to seize the railing to stop himself from flying off and into the swirling water below. The situation was only made worse when Yuga swung his brush and created a black and wavering bridge connecting the two ships with Zant now charging across it, spinning like the madman he was.

"Zant? Buddy?" Mako said as he parried the usurper king's attack. "That didn't work last time. I thought we learned."

"And it seems you haven't learned to protect your weak spots, boy!" growled Ghirahim as he materialized behind Mako and swung hard.

The demon lord's blade would have likely stuck the young Zora had Fi not dropped down in her sword form and parried. Ganondorf smirked, mildly amused at the pitiful resistance the heroes were putting up despite their failure being as imminent as ever. Such amusement wasn't worth his personal involvement just yet, and so he cast his hand forward. From the shadows sprouted goofily grinning Moblins, wielding spears that they swung fast and hard. From the sky flew sword-and-shield bearing Aeralfos that Quill and Volga wasted no time in taking to the sky to confront.

Darunia kept firing upon Ganondorf's ship with the catapult while the cannon-bearers turned their attention to helping Volga and Quill. Ruto and Saria continued to magically duel with Twinrova, and anyone left over tended to the Moblins, Zant, and Ghirahim.

Vaati sneered at this display. Truly pathetic, he thought. Any self-respecting warrior should have known when to surrender against superior forces. He bounded toward the ship on a gale, landing in the crow's nest in front of Aryll. The little girl rightfully shouted out in terror, and Vaati promptly laughed.

"What? Do I frighten you?" he asked before noticing the Wind Waker in her hand. "Now where did you get that?"

Aryll didn't answer him. Instead, she flicked the baton forward and pointed it at the wind mage. In a split second, surges of lightning blasted through Vaati and a powerful gust knocked him out of the crow's nest altogether. Irritated and yet mildly impressed as he floated in mid-air, he jetted toward her again with the full intention of knocking her out into the water below. Fortunately, Aryll's newly adopted big brother didn't seem ready to allow that when he jetted upward with the Hookshot and slashed the wind mage hard across the chest.

"I haven't got a single clue who you are, but you've got another thing coming if you think I'm letting you hurt her!" the hero shouted.

"Lovely. A fellow throwing himself into peril for a stupid child." Vaati growled. "Have at you, then!"

Yuga chuckled at all the destruction his comrades were wreaking, finally deciding to get in on the action and lunging toward the closest hero, which happened to be Shanya. She didn't even need to worry, though; the moment Yuga raised his brush to swing at her, Mako dropped down as if from nowhere and blocked him.

"Buddy, if you don't mind me being honest, you've gotta be the ugliest son of a gun I've ever seen in my life," the Zora youth mocked. "And that's compared to those pig guys over there, okay?"

"You scaly little swine!" Yuga spat, slashing his brush and sending blasts of paint Mako's way. "Who do you think you are?!"

"An average kid from Zora's Domain that's gonna kick your prissy little ass, that's who."

It appeared that in terms of raw physical strength, Yuga was completely lacking. He repeatedly attempted to strafe away and cast magic at his opponent, but Mako was so fast that he cleared the distance in a second every single time. A few swipes of his daggers, and Mako had knocked Yuga's weapon right out of his hands. He was ready to finish the deed when Yuga disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing back on Ganondorf's ship and continuing to cast his spells.

"Oh, so that's how you wanna do it, you freakin' coward?!" Mako roared as he charged across the paint bridge. "Fine by…"

Mako trailed off when he realized he was directly in the path of the now-advancing Ganondorf, making eye contact with him and suddenly losing every ounce of confidence he had, even more so when he looked at the evil king's hand. The glowing symbol didn't lie. He still had the Triforce of Power. While that at least meant Majora wasn't at her full strength (whatever it could have been), it didn't really help the immediate situation.

He knew he stood no chance against the Great King of Evil, but he'd be damned if he let this monster run loose like this. He clenched his blades and stood strong. Ganondorf took one look at him and laughed.

"The hero's lackey, eh?" he said, drawing himself to his full height and absolutely dwarfing his Zora opponent by comparison. "Foolish boy. Do you know who I am?"

Mako certainly did know who Ganondorf was. Zora mothers used his name to scare their children into behaving themselves, and many others of his race had lineage that had fallen prey to his tyranny. If there had ever been a point where Mako truly feared for his life against an opponent, it was now.

"An old man that really needs a girlfriend, if you ask me."

The evil king laughed again. Quite the mouth on this one, he thought.

"I am Ganondorf! Great King of Evil! As much as I admire your bravery, even you must see that you will taste no victory here."

"And YOU will taste your own blood!"

He regretted his sudden burst of bravery almost instantly when Ganondorf drew his great swords and made the first move. Blocking was no use; Mako didn't have the right strength to properly defend himself against Ganondorf's blades without ending up stumbling backward. He could duck and vault away from the slashes with the evil king actually being somewhat slow, but that didn't change the fact that even when he managed to land a strike to his shoulder, his dagger bounced off as if Ganondorf himself were made from steel.

"What's the matter, boy?" the Gerudo warrior mocked, crossing his swords and charging them with pure dark energy. "Don't tell me you're the inferior apprentice."

The evil king could tell he struck a nerve when Mako began swinging even more violently, still achieving no satisfying results and getting winded before he knew it. Meanwhile, Ganondorf just stood there smirking at him, daring him to try and strike again. Mako, fed up, let out a fierce battle cry and jumped, his blades raised over his head and poised to strike.

"Reckless, aren't you?" Ganondorf asked as the dark energy transferred to his right hand.

Mako knew he was in trouble when Ganondorf planted his blades down and clenched his metal-clad hand into a fist, but he didn't truly know what he was in for until the evil king's fist plowed into his chest. For a moment, he felt colder than he'd ever been in his life, as if Ganondorf had thrust all the life out of him for the few seconds it took to realize what had happened. Then it felt as if a bomb had gone off right against his chest, and the next thing he knew, he was on his back with no strength to heave himself back up.

"This is the best he could do with you, is that it?" Ganondorf asked, planting his heavy foot on Mako's chest. "Or perhaps you don't have enough fighting spirit within you."

"Ah, go to hell!" Mako shouted back at him, his breathing becoming strained as Ganondorf began to crush him.

"And yet that confidence has gotten you nowhere. If anything, the Hero is probably ashamed of you getting yourself into danger like this. Ashamed of you being a waste of his time and energy."

Seeing that his harsh words were getting Mako on a deeply personal level, Ganondorf smiled evilly. He didn't understand nor care why he enjoyed watching this boy suffer. Perhaps it was just to fizzle out any of the bright hopes he had left.

"Sure. You had a few strokes of luck with my minions, but quite frankly, this army would be no different without you…you're pathetic."

And all the bravery Mako thought he had in him was gone in an instant. He believed everything Ganondorf was telling him. He believed he was inferior to Shanya. He believed he was holding the entire army back with his recklessness…

…and he believed his teacher was ashamed of him.

But said teacher certainly didn't believe so. Not when he rushed forward and repulsed Ganondorf far enough that Mako could finally wriggle free.

"Don't even try, Hero." Ganondorf spat. "Without the Master Sword, you couldn't even scratch me."

"I know…" Link said solemnly.

And as he and his ancestors before him had done, he duelled the evil king, fighting what he knew was a lost cause. Without the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword, he was no more a hero than anyone with the strength to wield a blade, and this was sadly proven when his efforts were as ineffective as his student's. No matter what he did, no matter what angle he slashed from or what technique he used, Ganondorf blocked and parried, repulsing with his own dark energy that nearly threw Link off his feet.

Tetra and Aryll were the first to notice that the ships were starting to slowly approach the center of the whirlpool, with Tetra's ship being the closest. It was a straight drop to the ocean floor from there, and they wouldn't put it past Ganondorf to send the waves crashing in on them and drowning them the moment they went through.

"I really hope you've got something in that noggin of yours, Aryll," Tetra said in a tone that began to steadily show fear the longer she talked. "'Cause I'm honestly fresh out."

And lo and behold. Aryll did have a faint idea that could save them, and without any time wasted, she took her position in the crow's nest and flicked out the Wind Waker.

"If Big Brother could do it, then so can I!"

She closed her eyes and let the wind guide her movements with the legendary baton. Down, then right, then left, then up. Over and over again as her eyes got watery and she hoped for the very best. To her joy, she heard the familiar hiss off in the distance, but in order for her idea to be fully realized, a few last preparations had to be made.

"Get them off the ship!" she cried. "Hurry! Before it comes!"

"Before what comes?!" Groose shouted back.

"Just hurry!"

After a few moments passed, they began to hear the hissing, too. As such, they wasted no further time. Impa and Shanya cleared away the last of the Moblins, as did Volga and Quill with the Aeralfos. Midna's hair twisted into a massive hand, seizing Zant and throwing him as far as she could muster. Fi unleashed a Skyward Strike, disabling Ghirahim long enough for Groose to force him back with his bombs. Finally fed up with Twinrova firing blasts of elements at them, Ruto conjured up one burst of water and fully drenched the witch in it. Vaati attempted another aerial assault, only for Lana to fire bolts of lightning at him until he had the sense to retreat. Yuga, still casting volleys of paint, ended up with a Light Arrow to the shoulder once Zelda had seen enough of his ghoulish face for one lifetime.

That left only Link to deal with Ganondorf, and things weren't going well when the evil king overpowered the hero and cast him over the side of the ink bridge. He clung on for dear life with his free hand, noticing his sword lay discarded on the bridge. The moment Ganondorf noticed it, he sneered and kicked it away and into the swirling vortex below. Link watched it fall, and then he watched a more distressing sight approaching in the distance: a tornado that stretched all the way to the clouds miles above. And it was fast approaching them.

"I know, Hero." Ganondorf laughed as he raised his blades. "I too was hoping to fight you when you actually stood a chance."

Had it not been for the sudden blur kicking Ganondorf hard in the forehead, it was likely Link would have suffered the same fate as his blade. The evil king stumbled backward a few steps, and then all the way back onto his own ship's deck when Zelda fired a second Light Arrow directly into his chest. Regrettably, it didn't properly wound him in the slightest, but it at least gave Lana enough time to rush forward and pull Link to safety. If Ganondorf was irritated that his nemesis had evaded him, he was in for more of a shock when he saw who had intervened.

"Nabooru…" he said to himself.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time, Ganondorf." the Sage of Spirit shouted as she crossed back over the bridge.

With a second Skyward Strike, Fi severed the bridge connecting the two ships just as the tornado reached them. The whipping winds gathered around Tetra's ship, nearly ripping the sails clean off the mast and alerting the heroes as they heard the ship begin to heave once more.

"I really hope you know what you're doing, Aryll!" Zelda shouted over the gale.

"I do, but you guys better hold on tight!" Aryll called back. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

And to Ganondorf's frustration and the heroes' amazement, the twister at last heaved Tetra's ship up and out of the water altogether. Away they sailed through the sky at top speed, more than enough of the heroes unable to keep goofy grins off their faces. The evil king growled and raised his hand, the shadows engulfing his ship and encasing it in a violet aura.

"Oh, no, they're following us!" Agitha cried.

"Wait!" Skull Kid called. "Look!"

Link followed Skull Kid's gaze and was surprised to discover that five warriors had landed on the fiends' ship and proceeded to duel them. A violet-haired boy that looked surprisingly like him, an ugly green creature wielding an axe, a shady man with his mouth covered and a large gauntlet on his arm, a young blue-haired man whose lute emitted powerful shockwaves every time he plucked a string, and…

"It's him…" Link muttered.

The stranger he had encountered in the Temple of Souls wasted no time in confronting Ganondorf, his massive and oddly-shaped sword easily taking the Great King of Evil by surprise. But it could only become more surreal; after a few more seconds, the stranger seemed to be aware of Link's presence and slowly turned his head to look at him.

"Wait a minute…I know him!" Colin said, pointing at the ogre-like creature. "Midna, you know him, right?"

"Damn right I do!" said Midna. "That's King Bulblin! What's he doing here?!"

Link paid no attention and only focused the blank and unblinking of this strange doppelganger of his as they proceeded further away. Just who was this man? Granted, he seemed to be there to help and he could only offer his gratitude for it, but nevertheless…

"Choose your battles wisely, Link."

That familiar quote echoed in Link's mind, and he still wondered how the stranger knew his name. This question received no answer as Ganondorf's ship was finally out of sight, and the tornado slowly began to dissipate. At last, Tetra's ship touched back down into the waters and slowed to a stop. The heroes took a moment to catch their breath, applauding Aryll for his brilliant though somewhat over-the-top idea.

Link, however, was not as thrilled. On top of losing his weapon and nearly his life, he nearly lost one of his companions as well. That companion, who he normally accepted recklessness from, now approached him as if to explain the situation. To the surprise of everyone around them, Link stood up and shot a fiery glare at Mako before raising his voice and making his concerns known.

"Mako, what the hell were you thinking going up against Ganondorf?! I get that your confidence is part of who you are, but don't go trying to get yourself killed like that!"

"But…" Mako started.

"But nothing! Don't you ever scare me like that again! Understand?!"

Mako had no answer. He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying as hard as he could to say something to ease his teacher's worries. He couldn't, so he lowered his gaze and turned away, leaving Link to fizzle his frustration out on his own. Nabooru's sudden act of bravery was now his focus. That, and what she had said to him. Utterly curious, he approached the Sage of Spirit as she leaned up against the mast and took a few deep breathes.

"Thanks." he said.

Nabooru turned to him and gave a sly smile, appearing to examine him solely with her eyes. Sizing him up or checking him out, he couldn't tell, but it hardly bothered him. His question was still the dominant force.

"No problem…just promise me we're not going anywhere near water again further down the line, alright? I can't swim."

"But what you said to Ganondorf…you knew him as a child, right?"

"Yeah…yeah, I did. Why?"

"I'm curious and I sure as hell can't ask him. What happened to him? Was he always this way?"

He couldn't blame her for not wanting to tell him by the looks of it. Based on how she had tried to lead an underground rebellion against Ganondorf before she became the Sage of Spirit, she clearly had deeper resentment for him than most others did. She had tried to forget she ever knew Ganondorf in his more innocent days, but now that he had become a threat to them again, there was little stopping it.

"He was always angry," she started, speaking slowly so that Link would hear everything she had to say. "He was always angry that we were cursed to a miserable life in the desert while the other people of Hyrule lived as they saw fit, but he never thought anything radical was the answer. Our land was raided by the Hylian forces periodically over the years, and Ganondorf always asked the elders why we weren't doing anything about it. They told him it was because we weren't built for war. For some reason…the gods wanted us to suffer for something we had no knowledge of."

Link couldn't even pretend to know how that felt. None of them but Nabooru and Shanya could. Without proper food and water, he imagined the Gerudo died in spades all the time, and Hylian soldiers regularly coming in to raid their home wouldn't be much help. If anything, it more or less justified the Gerudo becoming a race of thieves.

"Tell you the truth…I was just as angry about it as he was, and we kind of became close as a result. I guess you could almost call the two of us childhood friends."

And that was what truly cemented Link's interest in the subject. He liked to believe that no one was born evil, but with the likes of Ghirahim and Majora, he had his doubts about that. At the very least, what Nabooru had just said at least convinced him that Ganondorf had not been born evil.

But that left the obvious question picking at his brain: what changed? He asked and Nabooru answered without hesitation, but her answer was far more haunting than Link could have possibly imagined.

"There's a certain coming-of-age trial in our tribe where a member has to venture into the Haunted Wasteland and survive for one night without food or water. The ones who make it back usually talk about horrible things they'd seen, but Ganondorf…I don't know. Something happened to him out there. Before he'd left, he had no idea how he was going to lead our entire tribe, but when he came back, it was almost like the boy I knew had died and something else had taken over. He became stronger and more ready to lead us, yes, but…it was like he'd lost all his innocence and become…"

"Pure evil?"

She seemed almost offended what with her mouth open slightly and her arched brows, but this quickly receded into a despaired look once again. If anything, these memories and how she felt about her former master had her practically on the verge of tears.

"Yeah…and I don't mean to show him sympathy or anything, but there really isn't any way he could be as evil as Majora. He told me after he came back that no matter what he did from then on, it would be for us. For his people. I know it's hoping against hope, but…I still believe that to some extent."

Link was honestly surprised how willing Nabooru was to admit that she showed the Great King of Evil such sympathy. He wondered why then she would be the first of the Gerudo to turn against him, but perhaps she did so because she still believed there was good in him.

And now that Nabooru had mentioned her, Link still wondered how they were going to ever stand a chance against Majora. Even without the full Triforce, she had destroyed an entire country in the blink of an eye. Even worse, she had planned ahead of time for them, and Link wasn't the only one concerned.

"So about this Majora person," Tetra spoke up once everyone had calmed down. "You said she wiped the floor with you? Are we supposed to help you with it? Making your army bigger isn't going to help matters much if she knows exactly what you're going to do before you do it."

"That's our dilemma, unfortunately." sighed Zelda. "We haven't got a single clue what to do. Top that off with Ganondorf chasing us, and…Link?"

Link had started to feel the tightening in his chest the moment Zelda started talking, and while he would consider it more of a problem than the one they were already facing, he considered the options. None of them knew what to do, not even Lana, who supposedly had an infinite vision of Hyrule's time.

Then he remembered. That vision was fragmented because Lana was only half of a deity-like being. If one half didn't have the answers, then perhaps the second half did.

"I know someone who could help." he said.

Lana knew in an instant what this entailed, but as much as it alarmed her, she couldn't protest. As they made eye contact, she nodded while everyone else stood around confused. Link sitting down with his back against the mast and getting comfortable didn't help said confusion, but no one dared to intervene as long as he knew what he was doing.

He really didn't, but what other choice did he have?

"If something goes wrong, wake me up."

* * *

Link slipped into the expected dream nearly the moment his eyes shut. There he stood in the same bedroom he'd been in the last time, and he still held the same fears as before. But if there was anyone who knew how to stop Majora, it would be perhaps one of the few people that wanted him at her feet.

His chest pains hadn't been a coincidence this time. She had been calling to him.

"Cia?" he called. "Cia, are you there?"

A soft giggle, a light breeze running through his hair, the illusionary room generating before him, and finally a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Always, love." the sorceress said in her trademark sultry voice. "How can I help you?"

Link turned towards her in all her provocative glory and blurted out the question before things could get awkward. Knowing her, that would take a matter of seconds.

"What do you know about a being named Majora?"

"Majora? Now there's a name I haven't heard in quite a while."

"Yes, but what do you know about her?"

"Everything, of course. Including any weaknesses she may have if that's what you need to know."

"Perfect. I know it might be asking a bit much, but could you tell me?"

He knew it wouldn't be this easy. She faked deep thought while a salacious grin stretched across her face. He didn't know what she had going on in her head, but it was going to be bad for him one way or another.

"Hmm…well, I suppose I could spill my dark little secrets out to you, but certainly not for free."

Link knew he would regret saying this, but he sighed and muttered "Name your price." He cringed as Cia giggled to herself again and vanished from sight, tensing every muscle in his body and anxiously waiting for her to kick him to the ground and start doing the things she did.

But perhaps he was too hard on her. Even evil sorceresses could settle for a hug from behind by the looks of it, though that didn't stop him from becoming rigid when she brushed his tense shoulders with her soft hands.

"Tell me about yourself."

"Don't you already know everything about me?"

"Not everything. I certainly don't know what secrets you're keeping bottled up within you."

"…fine. What do you want to know?"

She tapped her chin with one hand and ran her fingers through his hair with the other, making him more uncomfortable the longer she went without speaking. When she did finally give him an answer…

"You told Zelda you don't know anything about your parents. What's your earliest memory?"

He had no idea why she wanted to know that (or how she didn't already know it), but it was something he felt sentimental enough to share with her. He just hoped she wouldn't use it against him later on.

"It's a bit hazy. I was about seven, and I just remember waking up in a field with Epona lying next to me. You know her, right?"

"Your horse? Naturally. A lovely creature if there ever was one."

"Yeah. We just ventured into Kakariko Village and settled there for a while. I had a few friends, but for the most part, it was just me and her…and we just sort of grew up together until I was the right age to become a knight."

"I see. And how did you received the Triforce of Courage?"

"I…never really gave it a whole lot of thought. Weren't all my ancestors born with it?"

"This era's hero had to piece it back together before he could use it. The Hero of Time received it after Ganondorf split the whole Triforce into its three pieces."

"Well, I've just always had it…until I go and lose it to tyrants and mad goddesses."

Cia laughed, though Link's tone should have implied it was no laughing matter. Nevertheless, she seemed satisfied with his answer, but why did he get the feeling she knew something about him that he didn't?

"That's all I needed to hear, darling." she said.

"Good." he replied. "Now, then. Majora?"

"Let's have a little story time, shall we? After the Golden Goddesses created the Triforce, they ultimately decided they wouldn't be held accountable for what the people of Hyrule did with the lives they were given. To balance it, they themselves would not pass judgment on us, instead opting to create two other deities to remotely fuel benevolence and malevolence into the hearts of all men and women. However, these two were forbidden from physically interfering in the affairs of mortals."

"And I assume that one of those deities was Majora, and she broke the rule?"

"Indeed. She and her opposing deity were not treated on the same level as their creators. Even the two races made in their image had no cause to worship them. The other deity didn't mind this, but Majora desired mortal worship so much that it became the only thing she ever thought about. In one land where the faith in the goddesses was starting to wane, she appeared to them and threatened to destroy the land unless they built a monument to her."

"The Stone Tower."

"Correct. She filled Termina's mortals with lies and threats, and the monument began to rise to the heavens as a way of diminishing the goddesses by physically reaching them. The goddesses saw what their creation had done, but because of their own law forbidding themselves from interfering unless called upon by the Triforce, nothing could be done. Then the second deity, the God of Order, appeared and demanded that the people of Termina cease the monument's construction, reminding them of what the goddesses had given them and how demeaning it would be for them to forget it all. They listened to him, and Majora grew furious. She made good on her promise and attempted to destroy Termina with a fiery meteor, but the God of Order pushed back and saved the land from its destruction."

It was a lot to think about, and it gave all the information regarding Majora that Link needed to make a full judgment. She was pure evil. She had no concept of justice. She was madness and destruction incarnate, and nobody could reason with her.

"But why didn't the God of Order stop what just happened?" he asked.

"Because of what happened after he saved Termina." Cia continued. "Knowing now that her opposite was far more powerful than she had given him credit, Majora fled to the far reaches of Termina where she believed no one would find her. The goddesses begrudgingly abided by their set rule and banished the God of Order from the heavens, taking a great deal of his immortal power and sealing it within a mask shaped like his face. He accepted this punishment, but feared what might happen if Majora were ever to return. Finally, he devised a plan. He found the bravest warriors in Termina, who were four brothers of great strength and kindness. Imbedding them with small fractions of the power he had left, he transformed them into four giants and spread them out across the different regions of the land, and as he departed, he left behind a song for the people to summon the giants if they ever needed them. That song is known as the Oath to Order."

The Oath to Order. That sounded all too familiar to Link, and it begged the question.

"How does that song go?" he asked.

"Ooo, you want to hear me sing, do you? I'm flattered, love!"

Of course she was. Link still let her go ahead, and was marvelled when she let loose. The song echoed throughout the room, accompanied by a soft invisible orchestra. It had no lyrics, but Cia's luscious voice was all Link needed to hear. It was beautiful, it was hypnotizing…it was familiar?

"Where have I heard this song before?" he asked.

Perhaps a memory of a previous hero, like the ones he had a felt on Outset Island. In any case, when Cia finished, Link couldn't help but smile and applaud her. She winked and blew a kiss to him in response.

"I do like to pride myself on things like that." the sorceress giggled before she regained a semi-serious demeanour and continued the story. "But the God of Order wasn't finished yet. After many years, he finally tracked Majora down. She had taken the form of a hideous monster, manipulating the time and space of everything around her. By now, warriors had come from far and wide to try and kill her, all of them meeting their doom until her nemesis finally appeared in disguise, lulling her to sleep with his song and slaying her physical form. Then he carved a mask from her hide and sealed her soul within it before sealing away the mask itself so hopefully no one would ever find it."

Gods and their masks. It truly was a fascinating story, but it hadn't answered Link's question. Luckily, that seemed to be what Cia was getting around to when he spoke up.

"Makes us look like a bunch of trainees…" he muttered.

"You can't really beat yourself up too much about it." Cia said. "She isn't afraid of you because she doesn't know what you're capable of. There are only two people that Majora ever has or ever will fear: the Demon King Demise, and therefore Ganondorf by extension, and the Fierce Deity."

"The Fierce Deity?"

"The order to Majora's chaos. The second deity I told you about. He now wanders the world dealing justice wherever he can…and this might come as quite a shock, but I have managed to spot him in reflections of the past, and he looks pretty much like a stockier version of you."

The stranger that kept showing up in the most inconvenient of places…that had been the Fierce Deity? And of all things, why was it Link he appeared to be stalking? Recruiting him wasn't out of the question, but it was hardly the main priority, and if he was going to continue to be elusive, it may have been a better idea to move along without him.

"So do you know any way that we could defeat Majora?" he asked.

Cia smiled and laughed. At this point, Link wasn't disturbed by it in the slightest. It was practically a language to her now.

"Playing the daring and devilishly handsome hero as always. Oh, I just love that about you." she said. "But in any case, it is possible, don't you worry. As a Hylian goddess of sorts, Majora can see across all of Hyrule's different times whether they are on the same line or not. However, picture it like this. Reality is like a series of lakes. They all exist and are composed of the same basic material, and there is always a way to enter a different one, but the ones that dwell within each lake have no knowledge of one another until such a thing happens."

"So to defeat her…"

"I would say more to gain an edge on her, but I recommend recruiting those she has no knowledge of. She was able to defeat you so easily because she knows all of the hero's incarnations in and out and can adapt to them easily. Take a hero that she has no knowledge of, and she has no strategy to resort to because she has no idea what they're capable of. There are many realities aside from our own. Who knows who and what you'll find in them?"

"How would you suggest crossing over?"

"Look for the Tower of Spirits." she said. "There's enough temporal imbalance there that you'll be able to rip holes through reality itself. Get there, and Lana can do the rest."

She shot him another seductive look, though at least this was more encouraging in combination with her next words.

"Bring forth whatever allies you can find, and teach Majora to fear you."

At last a feasible advantage. Any discomfort he felt for Cia was wiped away and he smiled. He even bowed, though he wasn't sure why when he knew she'd settle for a kiss. It hardly mattered when he finally had some idea of how to put that grape-skinned monster in her place.

"Thank you, Cia."

Cia giggled and seductively embraced Link yet again as he started to feel consciousness return to him.

"Any time, love. If you ever need me again, you know where to find me…deep down in your heart."

He would have readily admitted she was starting to grow on him if not for that final chilling whisper, and when he awoke to see Zelda looking betrayed, the feeling worsened.

"When were you going to tell me?" she asked, making what she was referring to as obvious as possible.

"…I wasn't. I didn't want you to worry about me anymore than you already are."

It didn't dissuade her concern, but she at least didn't look as hurt. He nevertheless damned himself for once again refusing to let her in when he knew she'd stop at nothing to lift his spirits. She looked away from him for a brief moment and looked at their comrades, all eager to hear what Link had to say. She sighed and turned back to him.

"Never mind. As long as she's helping us, I guess it can't be that bad. What did she say to you?"

The determination spread over Link again and he stood up, raising his voice so that everybody could hear him.

"Yeah. She gave us a feasible advantage. Majora knows how to plan ahead for us because her vision extends to every era of Hyrule and any country associated with it whether it be Termina or whatever. Therefore, a sure way to get a leg up on her is to find warriors that aren't from either."

It sounded like complete madness to the other heroes as Link expected it to be. They all looked at him as if he'd inhaled too much smoke before one of them spoke up.

"So not just time-hopping anymore." said Midna "Reality hopping. Swell. So how do you propose we do that?"

"There's a location called the Tower of Spirits. Cia said that it contains enough temporal imbalance to open doorways to other worlds. We just have to get there, and Lana can do the rest."

Lana nodded, happy that Link was placing more faith in her than her dark counterpart and began mentally scanning for the Tower of Spirits. She found it with ease in its place in history, but there was one fatal flaw in the plan that she was eager to relay to them.

"The Tower of Spirits won't come into existence for at least another few centuries, and I don't have enough energy to warp us there on my own. We'll have to find a vantage point in this era I can use to gather my power."

She only had to turn and see what had just caught everyone's attention to put her mind at rest, and she couldn't blame her comrades from becoming entranced by what they had come across.

"And I think we just found it." she said with a satisfied smile.

It was basic logic: an ivory tower that stretched higher than the mountain upon Dragon Roost Island was sure to catch attention from someone.

* * *

_**Welp, that took a while, but good to have it done.**_

_**In reference to what I said about Linkle last chapter, I wasn't talking about the actual role she'd have in the story. It was more due to the fact that I already have the entire story planned out from beginning to end and throwing a sudden monkey wrench in there would complicate things. Luckily, I managed to figure something out, so I can say with absolute confidence that Linkle will be appearing later on...much later on, but hey, that's how it has to be for now.**_

_**And considering this is probably the last chapter I'll get up for another week (or month), let's get the seasons greeting started. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy...well, everybody! Happy Holidays! See you in 2016!**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Water

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker


	20. March on the Tower of the Gods

CHAPTER TWENTY

**March on the Tower of the Gods**

Once equipped with a special mask that would keep him protected underwater, Link dove off the side of the ship alongside Ruto and Mako and swam into the tower's mammoth entrance. They had already seen that there was indeed a stone walkway that led further upward, but it was buried under several dozen feet of water. Theoretically, there was a switch to lower the water level, and that was what the three had gone to look for. The night chill was nothing compared to the coldness of the water as Link dove headlong into it. The only thing keeping him warm was the aura emanating from the Goddess Sword, Fi having been kind enough to loan herself to him until he found another blade.

Ruto had already spotted something up ahead and was eager to take Link's hand and lead him to it, Mako just barely able to keep up with them. They had originally thought of splitting up, but then again, the so-called Tower of the Gods was massive. If they got lost, they'd likely question being able to find their way back out, let alone back to each other.

They found the first switch in the form of a lever with relative ease. Link planted his feet firmly against the wall, grasped it with both hands, and pulled it down. By the far wall, they could hear a loud click from behind what they assumed was a massive grate. Unfortunately, several other grates slid open and released their captives onto the three heroes. None of the three could fault whoever built this place for implementing a defense against any possible intruders, but releasing a school of angry Octoroks hardly seemed like a worthwhile endeavour for either party.

"Anyone in the mood for caviar?" Mako asked as he jetted toward the cephalopods with his daggers poised to strike.

Link lunged forward, fighting against all the resistance he expected from this amount of water. He slashed as hard as he could, dispatching a good number of the Octoroks before one of them wrapped its tentacles around his leg. Before he even had to make his next movie, Ruto swung her arms as hard as she could at the Octorok, using the surprisingly sharp edges of her fins to sever the tentacle before striking the head and killing it.

"Keep 'em busy!" said Link. "I'll find those last few switches!"

"Don't be too long!" Ruto called. "…really. I don't fancy spending my whole day with freaks like this."

"I'm sorry, are you referring to them or me?" Mako asked with a raised brow.

Link swam fast, slashing at any unwelcome company before he found the second switch sticking out of a rut on the floor. He made his way toward it with his hand outstretched, the moment's tension nearly making him shout out in surprise when a shadow in the shape of an arm seized his wrist. He struggled to get himself free, finally raising the Goddess Sword and unleashing a hefty Skyward Strike. The arm released him just as he heard a vaguely familiar laugh.

And lo and behold. When he turned his head to look, he saw a face he was hoping he wouldn't see.

"You!"

"What?" Veran said as she vanished from sight. "You thought we wouldn't find you?"

And thus the situation became even more dire. He figured Veran couldn't have been far if Wizzro had somehow managed to find Mako and Shanya, but here she was catching him and his allies in a spot where they really didn't want to be held up.

"Yo, boss!" Mako called. "You all good over there?!"

"Not really…Veran's here somewhere."

"Ah, great…we'll worry about that later. Let's flick those switches and regroup with everyone first."

Link nodded and pulled the second switch. The second grate on the far wall opened, and the water level began to lower significantly. Not nearly enough to leave the entrance open to the rest of the army, but enough that the grand stairway leading higher into the tower was revealed and ready to be traversed.

"Well, just when we were having fun getting our fins wet for once…" Ruto sighed. "Oh, well. This place does look pretty, doesn't it? A bit creepy, but pretty nonetheless."

It did, indeed. Ivory walls, golden pillars, and a ceiling that couldn't even be seen without a good amount of light. The water continued to sway, the sound of the waves being all that could be heard aside from the footsteps of the three warriors. All of this set up a perfectly eerie atmosphere, made worse with Link's anxious dread of Veran dropping dozens of monsters on them as per usual.

"The last switch must be up there!" he said. "Let's get moving!"

"All the way up there?! Urgh…" Ruto groaned.

In that moment, she gave Link a pleading look, and he remembered his ancestor having to put up with the exact same thing from her. The really funny thing was that he couldn't believe what he was doing while he was doing it, but he nonetheless bent his knees.

"Ah, dammit. Fine. Hold on tight."

Ruto clapped gleefully before she hopped onto Link's back. He slung his arms under her legs, and with her firmly piggybacking on him, he took off up the stairs with Mako following behind and trying not to burst out laughing. Link could hardly complain, though. Ruto was practically light as a feather and kept her grip on him as gentle as possible.

At least until several funny-looking statues along the sides of the stairwell grew spikes along their bottoms and started hopping toward them. At that point, she shrieked and clenched her grip just enough to lightly choke her carrier. Link jostled the Goddess Sword into his free hand and stabbed the nearest Armos's eye. Almost immediately, it halted, then started rapidly spinning around until it bashed into its comrades and exploded. For those that continued to move, a few slashes from Mako was all it took to fix that.

"Mako, don't charge ahead!" Link called as his Zora companion made a dash for the final switch.

"Relax, boss. What, ya think I haven't learned anything with how long we've been…"

"DARKNUT!"

Mako turned just in time to see a Darknut take a swing at him. He had no time to raise his weapons and block, but Link, Ruto having leapt off his back, was quick to shove his disciple out of the way. He drew his shield in time to block the Darknut's blow, but the evil knight still managed a quick kick to Link's stomach, sending him flying backward.

"Out of our way, you swine!" Ruto shouted as she rushed forward.

With a slash of her fins, Ruto called up a tidal wave from nowhere, catching the Darknut within it and carrying away to the nearby shaft and dropping it into oblivion. With that out of the way, Ruto rushed to Link's side and brushed him off. Mako meanwhile averted his gaze. How much more would he embarrass himself in front of his teacher today?

"Aw, is someone feeling a little useless?"

Mako looked up to see Veran cackling at him. Enraged by her mockery, he dashed forward and slashed at her neck, only for her to once again disappear. Enraged, he kicked the nearest tile in the wall, and to his surprise, it pressed inward. A series of sounds came from within the wall, and from the crevice that Ruto had cast the Darknut into rose a golden platform attached to the ceiling by chains.

"Oh…well, that works." he said to himself, seeing that Link was still full of energy and yet unable to bring himself to look at him.

When the three warriors stepped aboard the platform, it raised itself up to the next floor and into another beautiful room, this one clearly looking like some sort of shrine to the Golden Goddesses. Depictions of them, the Triforce, and the legend of the Hero of Time adorned the walls, with three black statues facing the elevated platform in the center of the room. On the wall behind the platform was the final switch, and unsurprisingly, when Link made his first few steps toward it, it was blocked off by a dark barrier.

"Brilliant." he groaned. "Veran in three. Two. One."

And the dark witch appeared, sneering at each of the heroes as they readied their weapons.

"This is all I get?" she asked.

"Honey, you're not worth one of us." Ruto spat.

"Cheeky, eh? In any case, powerless as you are, I'm afraid we can't have you running around causing a ruckus. By Lady Majora's order, it's time for you to…"

Link didn't even wait for her to finish before pulling a bomb from his pocket and throwing it at her at full force. He'd honestly had enough of this woman and her snarky yet seductive attitude, and if there was any way to permanently shut her up, he'd take it.

"Well, that was rude, don't you think?" Veran growled as she snapped her fingers. "But I suppose we may as well cut to the chase if you're going to be so impatient."

With that snap of her fingers, Moblins and Stalfos sprouted from the ground with their weapons at the ready. Link and Ruto bore no mind to their summoner and immediately lunged for them. Mako seemed ready to join them, only for Veran to snap her fingers again and conjure a barrier between him and his two allies.

"No, no, my dear little Zora." the sorceress giggled. "I've got something very special just for you."

"If it's fighting you, I'd sooner go get my ass beaten all over the place by Ganondorf again."

"I don't think I may have mentioned this, but did you know Onox and I come from a timeline where the Hero of Time fell in battle against Ganondorf?"

"'The hell's that got to do with anything?"

"It means for as much as you lift Link above everyone else you've met, neither he nor his ancestors are invincible. He isn't nearly as strong as you make him out to be…and as you may not have noticed, even he likes to play a little bit dirty."

She smiled evilly, Mako dreading to think what it implied as a black aura circled around her hands.

"So if you don't mind, my gift to you is a little taste of that. Let's see what your precious Link has hiding deep within his soul."

She cast the aura onto the floor before Mako where it stretched and took on a humanoid shape, and to Mako's shock, from it stepped a shadow. A shadow whose sharp teeth flashed bright and whose eyes glowed blood red…and who bore a striking resemblance to Link.

"What…what is this?!" he shouted.

"Everyone has a dark side, Mako." Veran cackled as she faded from view and left the two combatants alone in this desolate place. "It would seem your teacher has two."

With nothing but a laugh under his breath, Dark Link drew his weapon and lunged headlong at Mako, who jumped out of the way so the sword buried itself hard into the floor, sending pieces up as it did so. Whatever this monster was, his fighting style bore only a slight resemblance to Link's. It was fast, but it was also barbaric and without any form of restraint. Even blocks seemed fruitless, the evil shadow swinging so hard it was a wonder Mako's weapons didn't break then and there.

"You're pathetic, Mako." Dark Link hissed. "So sure of yourself and yet nothing to show for it."

"What are you…man, shut up!" Mako retorted as he performed a hefty Spin Attack. "You don't know anything about me!"

Dark Link laughed again as he released a burly three-strike combo that truly left a mark on his Zora opponent. Mako parried the first slash, only for the second to drastically throw him off-balance and the third to run down his chest and inject a wave of searing pain through his entire body. Being kicked in the same place and sent sprawling backward didn't help matters much, either, especially when his back slammed against a nearby column.

In less than a minute, Mako was already painfully aware that he was no match for this evil doppelganger, but what good would rolling over and accepting defeat do? Dark Link didn't look nearly like the kind of fiend to dabble in mercy. Despite the odds, Mako stood at the ready, taking a quick swig of the potion he had before he engaged the shadow again.

He slashed hard, casting up jets of water whenever he could. Nothing stopped Dark Link from approaching him quickly and mercilessly like a predator stalking its prey. With his black blade dripping with Mako's fresh blood, Dark Link jumped high and swung downward.

Ruling out his defensive options as too risky, Mako instead focused on evasion and rolled away. It worked a little better considering Dark Link was much more about brute force and lacked the real Link's precision, but it hardly mattered when every attack just barely missed Mako every single time and served to make him more nervous the longer he failed to land an attack.

"What's wrong, Mako?" Dark Link laughed. "Giving up hope? Not like you had any to begin with."

"SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Now thoroughly enraged, Mako finally went on the offensive and started slashing as hard and fast as he could. To his satisfaction, Dark Link didn't appear to be one for defense, either. Though he held up his shield for fractions of a second, he seemed more eager to continue his onslaught than protect himself, proven when Mako's furious slashes managed to chip away bits of his shield and even make a hairline cut along his cheek.

Dark Link grunted and stumbled backward, yet before Mako could let his satisfaction show itself, the evil clone of his teacher suddenly jerked his head up and started laughing maniacally. Mako raised his brow and threw his arms as if to ask what this thing's problem was, but he knew already. A fact made perfectly clear when Dark Link lowered his gaze again and leered at him.

"Ohhhh-ho-ho, this just gets better and better!" he roared.

From absolutely nowhere, Dark Link drew a bow and fired a barrage of arrows, each exploding when they made contact with a solid object. Mako thanked the lucky stars he hadn't been one such object, but the blast radius of one the arrows was close enough to force him forward, Dark Link thrusting his sword forward and just barely missing the young Zora when he parried the blow.

And thus the situation grew evermore desperate when Mako steadily realized that he had no chance against this thing, whatever he truly was. The hairline wound he had inflicted was gone moments later, and Dark Link's continued taunts and absolutely relentless attacks drained him of morale in a few moments. In those moments, defeating Dark Link was no longer his priority. Now it was just keeping himself alive.

They clashed, keeping each other at bay even though Mako quickly realized Dark Link was allowing it. He slacked enough for Mako to stayed locked in the struggle, but not enough for him to gain the upper hand. All of Mako's confidence and faith in himself was gone, shown clear as day on his face as Dark Link laughed again.

"You know this feeling, don't you?" he asked, his red eyes piercing all the way through to Mako's soul. "You know this sort of desperation…this hopelessness."

"I don't know what you're talking about and neither do you, so just shut your damn mouth!" Mako hollered back, heaving his entire body weight into the struggle and getting no satisfying results.

"Is that so? Is that how you want to remember him? All your life you've had people step in to save you, including him. But what happens when that special day comes…the day they need you to save them? What then, Mako?"

Him…

In that moment, Mako's hopelessness reached its limits as he looked at his daggers in memory, fear, sadness, and anger. Him…the one who held these blades before.

"No…" he said in a voice that was barely more than a whisper. "That…that's not what happened!"

"Yeah, you'd like to believe that, wouldn't you?"

Dark Link at last kicked Mako firmly in the stomach, stumbling him backward and then striking him with his shield at full force. As the young Zora slid on his back in a crumpled heap, he felt the last of his strength leave him and could swear he was starting to cry. Satisfied and still grinning evilly, Dark Link approached, finally tired of toying with his prey and ready to deliver the killing blow.

"He's the reason you're fighting so hard, but why fight if losing is all that you can do?"

His blade raised, Dark Link lunged, Mako sealing his eyes shut and mentally preparing himself to pay for his failure. But then there was a rush, and then a clash of metal, and then the same voice breathing heavily from two different sources. Mako opened his eyes, and there stood his hero saving him for the third time in a single day.

"Nobody talks to my students that way." Link growled, his adrenaline still pumping after he and Ruto had forced Veran to angrily retreat. "Let alone an insignificant puppet like you."

Dark Link jumped backward, surprised at the sudden interruption before letting out an angry roar and rushing forward. He and the true Link traded blow for blow until the latter raised his sword and unleashed the Skyward Strike, cutting through the shadow like it was a blade of grass. Dark Link in turn glared at his true self and seethed in anger as he steadily faded away into nothing, the true Link not even batting an eyelash. He'd seen this evil doppelganger one too many times to really think hard about him.

Calmness filled the room as Ruto flicked the final switch, but for Mako, he still felt nothing but shame. Not just from being reminded of why he decided to become a soldier in the first place, but for being saved by his teacher yet again. He'd gone on this agonizingly long quest in the hopes he'd come out of it as great a hero as Link, but there he had been like a damsel in distress at the mercy of some hideous monster, and there had been Link saving his sorry hide once again.

Link smiled down at him, but he again averted his gaze as he stood.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"…do you think I'm worthless?"

"Huh? Why in the world would I think that?"

Mako had no words. He just shrugged. Link put two-and-two together fairly quickly and bit his lip as he nodded. He supposed it was a fair judgment for Mako to make upon himself. Nonetheless, he saw the potential his Zora comrade had dwelling within, and he refused to let it be fizzled out by anyone. He stepped forward and laid a hand on Mako's shoulder, still smiling encouragingly.

"Hey. I don't mind saving you, Mako." he said. "It's my job to keep an eye out for you. Don't be so hard on yourself, okay? People make mistakes."

"Wait…so you're not pissed I ran right in front of a Darknut? Then what was that whole thing when I took on Ganondorf?"

"I've seen you. You can handle a Darknut, and if Ganondorf didn't have a piece of the Triforce, I'll bet you could handle him, too."

The look that came over Mako's face was one of the purest happiness. He felt silly for letting Link see him with it, but he couldn't help himself no matter how hard he tried.

"Boss…you serious?"

"As serious as I can be. And you don't need to call me 'boss'. I may be your superior officer, but I like to think I'm your friend, too."

Mako relaxed, looked down at his feet for a few moments, and then smiled up as his superior, raising his own hand to his shoulder and returning the friendly gesture. In that moment, the two knew that they would be inseparable. Mako still saw someone to look up to and eventually become like, but now he saw more. He saw someone he could count on above all else, and someone he wanted to be needed by.

Indeed, as Link suggested, they weren't just master and apprentice. They were comrades. Friends. Even brothers.

"Thanks…Link."

And what a time for everyone else to finally catch up with them, wonder what happened, and subtly break them apart.

"I don't mean to kill the tender moment, but yeah. Hi. We're here." said Tetra. "So what's next?"

They turned to Lana, who got to work straight away. She approached the golden pedestal in the center of the room and cast her tome forward. In that instant, the iron statues representing the three Golden Goddesses lit up brilliantly, firing beams of light from the triangle appendages on their chests. As the lights struck the tome, they released a slew of energy that Lana raised her hands to collect, and with a deep breath, she shaped them before herself.

And there stood a portal. Just like the one leading to Termina, nothing on the other side could be seen. What lay beyond it? None of them knew, but from their past experience, they were almost certain it wasn't going to go perfect for them when they finally entered.

And for that reason and others, Zelda turned to her army.

"If Majora's troops know where we're going, we can't risk them ambushing us when we go through." she said sternly. "We'll need most of you to stay here and keep watch for us."

The army nodded (with the exception of some, who groaned at being left out of the action), and the hunting party was narrowed down to Link (and by extension Fi), Mako, Shanya, Impa, Lana, Volga, and Zelda herself. That is until Impa took notice of Skull Kid. Nabooru's harsh rhetoric on Dragon Roost Island still rung in her heart, and though she could hardly say the imp child was forgiven, she would certainly give him the chance for redemption.

"Skull Kid." she called. "I'd like you to come with us."

Skull Kid rightfully flinched, but not wanting to anger the Sheikah any further than he may have done already, he hesitantly accepted, though not before giving Agitha a quick hug good-bye. Zelda nodded as Skull Kid joined her small party and turned to the remaining warriors with a few last encouraging words.

"We'll return as soon as we can. Godspeed to all of you."

And thus, Zelda's company turned to the portal, and in one decisive dash, they bounded even further through the recesses of time.

* * *

_**I'll be frank. This would have gotten done a lot sooner, but y'know...Xenoblade X dropped into my life.**_

_**And thus we journey further into the future, and following the next chapter, we finally see the appearance of the four special guests. And now I'd like to issue a challenge. I'm not much of an artist, but I like to think I have a solid image of what Mako and Shanya would look like. However, I want to see what you guys think. Anyone with more artistic talent than me (which should be just about everyone), draw me your best Mako and Shanya and give me a holler when you're done so I can have a look at it. Best of luck.**_

_**And next chapter...well...they like trains.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version. Seriously, he's ridiculously talented.)


	21. Crossing to the Tower of Spirits

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits**

The last thing Zelda's small army was expecting to come across when they appeared two centuries into the future was a gigantic transportation machine they'd never seen before. That was ignoring the fact that it was just sitting in on tracks in the middle of a lush field, as if someone had left it there specifically for them.

"Uhhh…okay, so does anyone have any ideas?" Mako sighed.

"Lana, how far do you think the Tower of Spirits is?" Zelda asked.

"Quite a ways that way." Lana replied, pointing north. "It'll take us all day to get there on foot."

In the meantime, Link entered the giant machine's front, finding himself in front of some kind of furnace with a large bucket full of coal behind him. His comrades followed suit, spreading out across the other three attachments and searching for some way to get the machine moving. As Link pondered the situation, Fi sprung from his sword and examined their surroundings.

"Judging from the funnel at the front of this compartment, this vehicle appears to operate on steam to traverse along the railroad." she said. "It appears to have not been active for some time, but I estimate an 89% chance that placing these coals into the furnace and igniting them will give the vehicle enough power to engage in forward motion."

Wasting no time upon hearing this, Link seized a nearby shovel and scooped three heaps of coal into the furnace, noticing Volga over his shoulder with a smirk on his face.

"Need some ignition?" he asked. "Allow me."

Link smiled and stood back as Volga took in a deep breath and exhaled a torrent of fire onto the fresh coals. They ignited, Link closing the hatch door to the flames and further examining his surroundings. There was a silver cord dangling from the ceiling, a copper lever jutting from the wall, and a red lever jutting from the floor.

He tested them in sequence, first pulling the silver cord. From a hole on the machine's front came a loud sound, almost like that of a whistle. Then he pulled the copper level back, instantly feeling the machine shift its weight. Finally, he gripped the red lever and pushed it forward. The weight shifted again, and to his satisfaction, the train started to move on its own along the tracks, steadily building up speed until it was moving even faster than Link imagined Epona could run.

"And we're off!" he cheered. "Everybody hold on tight!"

There was no better feeling for the warriors than looking over the side of the train and seeing this beautiful landscape rush by. Creatures ran fast in the distance, the wind whipped through the trees, and the sun beamed bright over the emerald green field. If the train had been their first question about this era, the existence of this field when it came two hundred years after a vast sea was their second. Centuries gone by or not, this much beautiful land didn't just rise up out of the ocean, even in a world as magical and mysterious as those connected to Hyrule.

But did any of that matter in these moments? Of course not. The train zipped around bends, up and down hills, and all while going faster than anything they'd ever come across in their lives. Such exhilaration was something few would or could ever experience. As the train rounded another bend and started heading north, Lana spotted their destination a very longs way off, but visible enough that she could point it out to her comrades.

"There's the tower!" she called. "We'll be there in no time if we keep moving!"

"Volga," said Impa. "Fly ahead and scout out the area for us. Let us know if there's anyone approaching."

Volga nodded, bounding into the air and extending his wings before he took off flying just a little ways ahead of the train. Link remained at the helm as Zelda walked up to him, just as fascinated with this world and this vehicle as he was if not more so. She stumbled and bumped into him as it rounded another bend, and he was quick to turn and catch her.

"Easy there." he laughed. "I still have no idea what this thing is, but I have to say I like it a lot."

"Every era of time has something interesting within it." Zelda replied with an interested smile. "…though I suppose not as interesting as what lies within one's soul."

Link froze on the spot and clutched at the back of his neck. She was really going there, was she? He supposed he couldn't blame her, though.

"Look, I'm really sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you to worry about me anymore than you already do, that's all."

"It's fine. I'm more interested in what Cia told you. As much as I find recruiting warriors from other worlds a bit drastic, she must have said something else."

In the few minutes that followed, Link was careful to relay every bit of information Cia had passed on to him. Majora's origin story was what caught Zelda's interest the most, as was her apparent dread of Ganondorf, but then Link brought up a name she had never once heard before.

"The Fierce Deity?" she asked. "Who's that?"

"Apparently Majora's number-one enemy aside from Ganondorf. You remember that man leading those soldiers when Ganondorf tried to follow us? That was him."

"A shame he's so elusive, then. We probably wouldn't even need to go searching for otherworldly allies if we could recruit him."

"Yeah, but there's something else…he knows me somehow."

"Do you mean a previous hero in your bloodline or you in particular?"

"No, I mean me…and he looks just like me."

A curious case indeed, Zelda thought. If the Fierce Deity had appeared to Link and claimed to know him, it was an obvious indication that he was aware of the bloodline of Hylia's chosen hero (being an exiled god, it was sort of a given), but why would that warrant directly appearing to him just because Majora was the enemy in this quest?

"There has to be more to this." she concluded, one final question remaining on her mind. "Do you feel like you recognize him from somewhere?"

Link hadn't really given such a thing much thought, but now that Zelda brought it up, he did sense some familiarity when thinking about the Fierce Deity. With seven years of his life missing from his memory, it wouldn't be that big of a surprise if the fallen god had played some part in it. But what part could that have been?

The answer would have to wait as Volga came back rather suddenly from scouting, a slightly troubled look on his face.

"There's a split in the tracks a little ways up," he reported. "And there's two other machines coming straight for us from both paths."

Just what they needed when they were closing in on their destination. As Volga had said, two other sets of tracks linked to the current one, and as the train passed it, two other cars pursued it at high speed.

"Damn. I didn't think Ganondorf's forces would have caught up with us already…" Zelda muttered before turning to her comrades on the cars further back. "Everyone keep your wits about you! We may have a fight on our hands!"

She would be forgiven for thinking that Zant, Ghirahim and the lot of them had managed to follow them further through time, but that sadly wasn't the case. As their car began to approach the back of the train, Kafei and Byrne clung on tight, ready to cross over at the precise moment they were required to. With his weapon slung over his shoulder, Kafei continued to mentally prepare himself to reap his vengeance.

Though he couldn't be too sure of himself. He was no soldier. He'd been able to help his allies against Ganondorf certainly, but taking center stage in a combat scenario was entirely new to him. These were trained warriors he was going up against, so it wouldn't be a far cry to say he wouldn't walk away from this.

"Something wrong?" Byrne asked.

"Well…I can't say I'll be that useful. I'm not much of a fighter."

"Don't worry. When you see your target, your instincts will kick in and you'll fight naturally."

Kafei doubted these words until he spotted Skull Kid aboard the train. At that point, he thought of everything that had gone wrong. Being turned into a child, the moon crashing into Termina…and losing Anju.

Byrne was right. He was ready, as were Ravio and King Bulblin on the second rogue car. The two lined up perfectly behind the train's rear car, and before any of the heroes knew what hit them, the four renegades jumped aboard, with Skull Kid and Lana being the first to see them, the former also being the first one Kafei laid his eyes on.

"I swear I'll kill you, you wretched little monster!" he roared.

"Huh?! Who are you?!" Skull Kid sputtered.

"You don't remember me?! You don't remember my name?!"

As strange as it was for Kafei to use a lute as a weapon, he pulled it out and furiously plucked the strings. What could only be described as a series of sonic booms echoed from it, launching Skull Kid and Lana backward while Mako and Shanya ran back to help them. Instantly alerted by their allies' sudden shouts, Link and his remaining three allies turned back to witness the sight before them.

"Wait a minute, those are the soldiers that were fighting with the Fierce Deity!" Link sputtered. "What the hell are they doing fighting us?!"

"Whatever the case, they'll learn not to toy with us!" said Volga. "To arms!"

The dragon knight led the charge with Impa not far behind. Link and Zelda looked at each other and groaned. They loved the adrenaline a good battle gave them, but if they were being honest with themselves, they at this point just wanted to get to their objective before anything worse could happen. Then again, they couldn't risk getting killed before reaching said objective, so as Fi switched back into her sword form and landed in Link's hand, knight and princess took the plunge and ran to their allies' aid.

It already wasn't looking good for them. Whoever these warriors were and wherever they came from, they were no pushovers, even giving Volga and Impa a bit of a struggle when the two of them were pushed back by the might of King Bulblin's axe. Mako weaved his way through and took a few slashes at Byrne, who promptly flipped away.

As he landed in front of his three companions, he looked over his shoulder and held up his hand signally for them to stop fighting for at least a moment. They did so, reluctantly in Kafei's case, and Byrne turned back to Zelda, who tensed her grip on her sword.

"State your business with us!" she demanded.

Byrne sneered, pointing his iron-clad finger at her and issuing his demand.

"By order of the Fierce Deity, we demand you cease your journey and return from where you came."

"We can't do that." Zelda retorted, standing defiantly and clenching her grip on her rapier.

"Can't or won't?"

Zelda didn't need to say anything more when Link stepped forward

"No one is going to keep us from our goal. Not you, and not your master. We'd be more than welcome to work alongside you, but we have no intentions of yielding to you."

"Then that was our only offer of mercy." Byrne growled as he sank into a fighting stance. "Now come! Fight!"

The two armies charged, Kafei heading straight for Skull Kid and slashing at him with all his might. Now without Majora's Mask granting him all manner of supernatural abilities, Skull Kid could do little more than call down his marionettes. To his terror, Kafei dismantled them in mere moments with a few strums of his lute.

"You'll pay for what you did to me…and to the people I love!" the young man growled, brandishing a slender knife in his free hand.

"No…no!" Skull Kid cried, suddenly realizing what Kafei was talking about. "I didn't mean for any of that to happen! I swear!"

Skull Kid ducked and stumbled away from every single one of the furious youth's slashes. J just when it looked like the killing blow was all but inevitable, who odder to jump to Skull Kid's aid than Impa, slashing once with her massive blade and knocking Kafei's knife away.

"This doesn't concern you, woman!" Kafei shouted.

"Still your tongue and prove your mettle, foolish child!" Impa retorted.

It was fitting that Link had been complaining about a look-alike when there was another one right in front of him. Ravio landed feet-first in front of him, drawing a crimson scepter from his large bag and launching a beam of flame right at him. A quick raising of the Mirror Shield was all Link needed to push the attack back and counter with a spin attack. In that instant, Ravio pulled a green rod from his bag, the leaves on its tip making use of the whipping wind to carry its wielder high into the air.

"Buddy's got some tricks up his sleeve…" Link growled, rolling away as Ravio came surging back down and created a shockwave when he landed.

"And it's more than just the rods, pal!" the violet-haired youth spat. "Get a load a' this!"

From his bag, Ravio drew a violet bow that he drew back and fired a quick succession of arrows, Link deflecting them all while one just barely whizzed past him. Demonstrating phenomenal speed, Byrne seized the lone arrow and flung it straight at Mako's forehead, Shanya telekinetically seizing it and finally throwing it away

"A good old tag team." Mako said with a smile. "Just like the good old days."

A tag team that Byrne managed well enough against as he flipped and blocked and what have you, but was still fairly impressed by how the two of them moved in near-perfect synchronization. Byrne punched at Mako, only for Shanya to hook his gauntlet with her scythe and pull him to the side. Mako then jumped forward and planted a firm kick to Byrne's back, pushing him forward just enough that Shanya was able to seize him by the neck, lift him up with one hand, and slam him against the metal surface of the train car they stood upon.

"Not bad!" Byrne said, keeping his serious demeanour but praising the duo in his mind. "But don't forget I have my own allies."

Shanya didn't look up in time to stop King Bulblin from ramming his shoulder into her and sending her skittering backward. He raised his axe, ready to bring it down on Shanya when Lana rushed forward and conjured a barrier to block him. As the goblin-like being stumbled backward, Zelda shot forward with her rapier in hand, managing to run the blade across his cheek. He stumbled backward for a moment, but then simply looked at the princess with an amused grin before swinging his heavy weapon hard.

"I've heard you helped the Hero of Twilight after he bested you in combat," Zelda panted as she and King Bulblin locked their weapons. "And now here you are battling his descendant. What makes you choose who to follow?"

King Bulblin sneered as he pushed Zelda back. He never once averted his eyes as he answered.

"I'll say what I said to the Hero of Twilight." he grunted as he raised his axe. "I follow the strongest side. That's all I have ever known."

"Yes, but does the strongest side hold the strongest warrior?!" Volga roared as he landed at Zelda's side, spewing a stream of fire that the ogre had barely anytime to escape from.

Ravio continued his rapid-fire arrow barrage, Lana being quick to blast them away with her bolts of lightning. When she finally had a spare moment, she looked up. They were now minutes away from reaching the Tower of Spirits, and while that would normally be good news, their current situation spoke otherwise.

"We're almost at the tower!" she shouted to her allies. "Get those guys out of here now!"

They wasted no more time. Making full use of their combined strength, Impa and Volga kicked King Bulblin as hard as they could, sending him sliding backward enough to trip and fall over the edge of the train. Ravio whipped out his Fire Rod and continued to cast more flames, only for Mako to swoop in. They clashed, but Mako waited for the perfect time and then pushed him back. Now thrown off-balance, Shanya was able to grasp him telekinetically, and with one strong heave, Ravio hit the dirt beside the tracks.

Kafei, having managed to retrieve his knife, continued to slash at the poor defenseless Skull Kid, who could do nothing more than jump away and recall exactly what he did to deserve this. However, it was at this moment that he felt something in his pocket, and when he reached for it, he knew he'd have to thank Agitha eternally. In his pocket had been one of her Golden Beetles, and he wasted no time in casting it forward. It grew to mammoth proportions almost instantly, charging right for Kafei and slamming into him with such force that even he knew that this fight was over before it really even got started.

And thus, only Byrne remained, locked firmly in a clash with Link. As the train began to arch uphill, the two of them started to steadily slide down the thick surface. Byrne looked over his shoulder to see the steadily approaching edge of the last car, and not wanting to waste any more time with Link, he pushed him back and vaulted over him. The shady warrior then set his sights on Zelda and was about to run up the cars toward her, but Link had other plans.

"I don't think so!" the hero shouted as he whipped out his Hookshot and fired true. "GET OVER HERE!"

The hook buried itself far enough into Byrne's clothes without injuring him before yanking him headlong toward Link, who seized him by the throat and looked him dead in the eyes with the fieriest gaze he'd ever seen. Yet when he looked harder, something about it seemed familiar.

Not to say Byrne didn't recognize the hero. He did. In fact, he had fought one just like him and had been defeated all the same, but there was something different about this one in particular. The sheer might that he held…his fiery eyes…it almost reminded him of…

"If the Fierce Deity's really got a problem with us," Link shouted. "Then tell him to get his ass up here and take us on himself!"

And with a firm shove, Byrne went rolling down the speeding cars, striking his back hard on the way down before rolling onto the grass where he came to a steady stop. Every muscle in his body hurt, but he was still quick to get to his feet. None of his allies could see it as they ran up alongside him, but under his veil, he smirked and muttered "Not too bad…" under his breath. He knew a good opponent when he saw one, and in his opinion, they had been spectacular.

"So do we go after them?" Ravio asked. "Not that I' m really in the mood to get my butt kicked again not even five minutes after the first time, but y'know."

Byrne expressed as much disappointment in himself as his allies did, but with their opponents already miles away and with themselves broken and beaten, there was no point in continuing this relentless pursuit for now. Besides, Link's proposition was one that greatly interested him. If his hunch was correct, something else was at work here. Something that Link and the Fierce Deity would need to settle themselves.

"We'll fall back for now." he conceded. "If it's an audience with the Fierce Deity they want, they will receive just that."

With Byrne out of his way, Link ran up the escalating cars as quickly as he could back the safety of the engine. The remaining tracks curled around the outside of the tower, steadily spiralling upward until the train entered an open chamber at the top, a blue stone platform in the center and a stained glass window before it with the sun streaming brilliantly through it. It was fortunate that Link didn't suddenly need to figure out how to bring the train to a halt, as it seemingly became aware of its location and slowly rolled to a firm stop.

The warriors disembarked and got a good view at this beautiful room, and Lana wasted no time in sensing the room for the temporal imbalance Cia had informed Link about. For the first few moments, she felt nothing and started to get the strong feeling that Cia had merely been playing them into their enemy's hands. She was no stranger to deception, for sure, but then again, what would that do for her when she had to leech off of Link to stay in the mortal world.

As luck would have it, though, she finally sensed the imbalance, and what an imbalance there was.

"I can sense them…four warriors from four different worlds. All of them heroes in their own right."

The warriors were surprised. Not one alternate world, but four? Excitement. Anxiety. Even light fear. All these things they felt as Lana steadily conjured four portals before them were enough to convince them that whoever these four warriors were, they stood a solid chance against Majora's forces. The question was whether or not they could be swayed to their side…or whether or not they were even anything like what could be seen in Hyrule.

"They won't be following us after that." Link said. "Let's split up again. Shanya, you take Skull Kid. Impa, you take Volga. Zelda, you take Lana. Mako, you're with me."

"Really now, Link?" Mako asked with a satisfied grin, growing more enthusiastic when it was returned.

"Yeah. I wanna see just what you're capable of."

The warriors broke off into their assigned pairs, Impa and Volga smirking and nodding at each other with tremendous confidence as they dashed through into the unknown world before them. Skull Kid had his doubts about Shanya, but he supposed there was no sense in not trusting her as he followed her. Zelda gave Link one last smile, as did Lana before the two of them jumped away.

Finally, Link and Mako took a good look at their own portal. Like the one leading to Termina, they couldn't see anything on the other side, and without a sizable armada behind them, they had their doubts on whether or not they'd last wherever it would take them.

But then again, that was half the fun.

"Ready?" Link asked.

"No, but don't let that stop ya." Mako replied.

"Fair enough. Let's get to work."

And they dashed through, blissfully unaware of the sudden shadows that followed them.

* * *

_**And thus we begin our venture to the four guest characters. Sure to be some fun stuff.**_

_**Referring to Kafei for a second. When I was thinking of characters to include in this story, he came to mind when I thought of Majora's Mask since he's a big part of perhaps the biggest side-quest in the game. Then I wondered what he might have done in his free time, and I somehow landed on him sneaking away from his home to play music at night, so that's why he uses an enchanted lute as a weapon. What would his singing voice be like? In my mind, probably close to Ed Sheeran's voice, specifically his voice in "I See Fire".**_

_**Actually, that song matches up with Majora's Mask as a whole pretty well. How about that?**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds


	22. Ambush at the Artifact Temple

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

**Ambush at the Artifact Temple**

As Shanya and Skull Kid exited through their portal into the stone hallways of a temple of some sort, they wasted no time in creeping along and taking special care not to disturb anything that might have been lying in wait for them. They remained on edge until they came across a large window overlooking a balcony, twelve statues dotted upon it as it overlooked a brilliantly green valley.

At least, most of it was. The massive crater far below the balcony had a deep hole in the very center of, large blue tentacles mindlessly waving. Like some form of pure corruption leaking from the core of this land. Coupled with the lightly rainstorm that strangely didn't obscure any part of the lovely night sky.

After a brief sense for the area, Shanya determined there was no threat within the area and released the grip on her scythe. Then again, she hadn't sensed any presence at all. Maybe this wasn't the reason place to be looking for whatever warrior was out here.

Though there was the more immediate problem of her company looking at her nervously. She had already set herself a rule that she would only thought-speak with people she trusted most. People like Mako. Making exceptions was hard for her, but if there was ever a time it was necessary, it was now.

"There's no need to be nervous around me, Skull Kid." she said.

Skull Kid himself jumped and looked all about in surprise before realizing the voice had come from within his head. Then he took a good look at Shanya, who'd grown the faintest resemblance of a smile.

"Well…you don't talk to anyone, so you can't really blame me, right?" he said.

"I suppose not." Shanya replied. "I have my own trust issues, anyway, but Link sorted that out with me pretty quickly."

Skull Kid nodded nervously and then turned back to the hallway ahead as they continued on. Nevertheless, Shanya continued to speak, making him wonder why she was suddenly so interested in him if Mako was the only person she felt she could rely on.

"I'm kind of curious about something." the Gerudo warrior continued. "I know you're upset about what happened in Termina, but…what does it feel like to be betrayed?"

"Huh?"

"Majora. She betrayed you, didn't she?"

At least she hadn't seized him by the neck and threatened to kill him like Impa had, but he certainly didn't want to talk about the fell goddess after all that she had done…all because he had trusted her.

"Yeah…I mean, she had this whole thing planned from the start, so it's not like she suddenly turned around and said 'Hey. I hate you and want you to die now'. So technically she didn't betray me. She just lied."

Shanya grunted in response, but Skull Kid wasn't quite finished.

"It's just that friendship is a really big deal for me. Majora told me that she was my friend…and figuring out that it was all a lie was the worst thing to ever happen to me. Everyone trusting me to help them stop Veran and Onox and all them just made it worse."

A tear nearly came to his eye at that thought, but he fought it back. It felt like she was searching for his weakness. Any weakness she would want to exploit and report back to the others about.

"I want to help them. I really do. After all the bad things I did…after I left Termina behind…I swore to myself I'd be good from now on."

His thoughts of his betrayer returned, and he clenched his fists so hard it was a wonder his fingers didn't break. He felt no sadness now. Only anger. Determination. Vengeance.

"I'm gonna make her pay for what she's done. That much I can promise." he finished.

With this sudden shift of emotion, Shanya found herself unable to respond. She didn't know how he planned on doing that with what little strength he had now, but the tone in his voice was sincere enough. He meant every word of what he had said, and if he had to die trying to stop his former friend, then so be it.

Something to be admired, she supposed. As they stepped out onto the balcony and took a look around, they started to lose faith in Lana's abilities as they asked themselves the obvious question: "Where's this warrior supposed to be, anyway?" Had Lana made a mistake in bringing them here? And they both knew that the gates that would return them to the Tower of Spirits wouldn't appear until it had sensed they had completed their mission, so was aborting it an option?

Not for Shanya, it wasn't. She wouldn't dare return to her superior bearing the mark of failure. They'd persevere and find this warrior if it was the last thing they ever did, and lo and behold. Right as she thought that, Skull Kid looked like something had caught his eye as he looked over her shoulder.

"Skull Kid, what is it?"

The look of terror should have been a dead giveaway, but it wasn't enough until Skull Kid pointed skyward and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Dragon!"

Shanya spun around just in time to see what Skull Kid had pointed out. It didn't look like any dragon she'd ever seen, but it certainly bore a strong resemblance to one. She noticed a strange texture to its hide, making it seem like it was hardened metal rather than any kind of organic flesh, and its tail was so long and sharp at the end that it looked like a weapon in its own right. As it landed on the platform before them, it spread its wings and let out an ear-piercing roar at the two warriors.

As if matters couldn't possibly get worse, they were quick to figure out who had directed this monster here as he materialized in a burst of twilight energy.

"Evening, friends." Zant said. "I hope you don't mind me and my new friend here dropping in on you. Ridley, I believe his name is?"

Ridley roared again, this time spurting a blast of flame from his fanged maw directly at Skull Kid. Shanya wasted no time in diving forward, seizing Skull Kid, and pulling him out of the way just in time. With another smooth motion, out came her scythe as Zant madly spun toward her. She swung in a deadly uppercut, knocking the usurper king backward before she threw her weapon headlong at him. He bent backward at an impossible angle as the blade passed over him and returned to its owner, then leapt upon one of the balcony's pillars and began to fire dark energy at a miraculous speed.

"You didn't honestly think you could hide from us, did you?!" Zant bellowed. "My master will not rest until he has your heads on a silver platter! Now make this easy for me, lie down, and DIE!"

With her hands full with Zant, Shanya completely forgot that she had essentially left Skull Kid alone to face Ridley. The imp child tried his best to stay out of the beast's sight, but it was useless; he was spotted in a matter of moments. The reptilian monster leered at him, snarling before rearing back and slashing at Skull Kid with his razor sharp claws. Skull Kid himself strafed, ducked, and did whatever else he could to keep himself from becoming skewered, but above all, he was adopting the same strategies he'd seen his companions attempt: wait for an opening and strike at the weak spot if there was one.

Of course, that was much easier said than done, especially in reference to a monster five times his size. He stumbled backward onto his rear end, just barely able to get up and jump backward before Ridley stabbed at the spot with his tail. They made eye contact, and with Ridley suddenly baring his teeth in an unusual sort of smile, he appeared to be sickly enjoying watching this morsel flee from him. If he could laugh, he probably would right about then.

"Come on, weak spot, weak spot…" Skull Kid muttered to himself, raising his brows in surprise when he finally saw it.

Whoever had designed Ridley's armour seemed to have slacked on the chest area, and Skull Kid made that his primary target. He seized the sharpest splintered rock he could find, welling up the courage to run forward and jump into a slide. Ridley's claws once again just barely missed him, as once he was in the right spot, he thrust the rock dagger upward. As it struck, the monster shrieked in moderate pain, swinging his tail hard once he knew Skull Kid was behind him.

"Oh, crap!" Skull Kid shouted to himself when he realized his reptilian opponent was still one step ahead of him.

Ridley's tail slamming Skull Kid into Zant's sights happened right around the same time the usurper king finally managed to knock Shanya's scythe from her hands, then summoning a massive replica of his mask to knock over one of the pillars and pin the Gerudo warrior underneath it. Skull Kid prepared to retrieve Shanya's weapon when Zant stopped him with a scimitar frighteningly close to his neck.

"That's far enough, child." Zant growled. "Unless you're in the mood to die an early death."

"How young do you think I am?" Skull Kid muttered. "What's the point in sparing me? I'm your enemy, aren't I?"

"Of course…but I sense that such a thing can change if you would allow it."

Skull Kid scowled. He couldn't believe Zant was even thinking he would do such a thing, let alone suggesting it to him. He knew that the alternative to joining the usurper king's side was of course death, but he'd caused enough pain to his friends already without completely turning on them.

"If you think I'm gonna betray my friends for a crazy freak like you, you've really got too much pride in yourself!"

He wouldn't regret anything negative he said to Zant, but he was still fearful when the usurper king seized him by the neck and hauled him into the air, then turned him around to face Ridley.

"And if you think I'll let you live otherwise, you've got too much faith in your precious friends!"

Ridley then opened his mouth, letting the flames build up and revelling in watching Skull Kid start to tremble. Yet just as he was about to let loose and burn the imp child to a crisp…

"You never change, you son of a bitch."

That voice…he knew it and its owner far too well. As for Skull Kid and Shanya's question as to where this world's warrior was, it seemed that question was now answered. What first looked like a large metal ball rolling off of Ridley's back shifted form into a metal-clad figure firing a missile from the cannon on its right arm. The missile struck Ridley, who bucked off to the side as he shrieked in pain. Zant, surprised as the sudden appearance of a new adversary, raised his hand to begin charging twilight energy, but the metal-clad warrior was prepared for this as well. From its left hand, it fired a beam of energy that coiled around Zant's wrist, then proceeding to lasso him out of the way and slamming his head against one of the pillars. With a mid-air flip, the warrior at last landed in front of Skull Kid, raising its masked head and staring right at him. Behind the green visor, he saw a pair of human-like eyes and eased his tension when the figure spoke in a distinctly female voice.

"Looks like you picked a bad time to go sightseeing around here." she said as she stood, intimidating Skull Kid in the span of a second when she drew herself to her full height, which happened to be nearly twice his.

With an adjustment to her arm cannon and another fired missile, the warrior freed Shanya from her stone entrapment. Shanya kept her gaze on her, as if demanding her name. The warrior instead prepped herself for battle yet again as Zant pushed himself to his feet and let out his umpteenth childish temper tantrum.

"This is outrageous!" he roared, going on with his disturbing contortions and high-pitched shrieks. "Why does misfortune follow me at every damned opportunity?!"

"You freaking out like a little kid every chance you get probably doesn't help much." Skull Kid snickered.

"Oh, the hell with this! Ridley! Tear them to pieces! I've done all I have the patience for here!"

Ridley seemed to sneer at Zant as he vanished in a burst of twilight energy, but it hardly mattered now. He flapped his massive wings and went airborne, flying away from the balcony at top speed and leaving Skull Kid and Shanya to wonder what in the world he was up to now.

"What's going on?" Skull Kid asked. "He's just gonna give up?"

"Don't be fooled." the metal-clad warrior said sternly, keeping her arm cannon charged and at the ready. "I've seen this kind of thing from him before. Stay alert."

The three of them stood back to back, keeping their eyes and ears open for any signs of movement on the horizon or sounds indicating Ridley's inevitable approach. The metal-clad warrior in particular switched over to another visor, looking careful through its thermal readouts to outwit her nemesis. She was fully aware now that this newly resurrected Ridley (or "Meta Ridley" as she'd taken to calling him) was still at least partly organic, and if that was the case, he wouldn't be able to hide for very long.

Sure enough, she spotted the monster on his way back, switching back to her combat visor in an instant.

"Air strike!" she shouted. "GET DOWN!"

The three warriors dove out of the way as a torrent of fire came raining down upon the platform, Ridley slamming his full weight down onto the stone surface afterward to throw them off-balance. Shanya used the momentum to propel herself backward and throw her scythe, guiding it to slice through a nearby pillar that came crashing down on Ridley's back. This hindered him only for a brief moment, and he lashed out at them immediately afterward, failing to spot Skull Kid jumping onto him and seizing Shanya's scythe in mid-air until his neck was caught in the blade's curve. No damage was done since his neck was armoured, but Skull Kid still managed to jerk his head backward far enough to throw him off-balance.

"Nice work!" the armoured warrior called. "Now take cover! This is gonna get rough!"

Skull Kid obliged, throwing Shanya's weapon back to her before diving to safety as the ruts in the armoured warrior's arm cannon changed colors from yellow to red, flaming plasma erupting from the muzzle and spraying against Ridley's chest. He shrieked in agony and charged forward, seizing his attacker in his hand and slamming her against the ground hard. He sank his claws inward, hoping to skewer the warrior on them only for several small explosions to go off on his palm. He pulled back and the warrior rolled free in that strange ball form, switching back and firing a missile once she was at the proper distance.

"I thought you'd be used to me slipping by you by now." she mocked. "I guess I was wrong."

Ridley swung his tail, stirring up the splintered rocks that were by now littered across the balcony, the heroes having to strafe about to avoid being struck by them. Ridley swung his tail again, this time with both the armoured warrior and Shanya seizing it and letting it carry them toward their opponent. He snapped at them with his powerful jaws only for Shanya to place her scythe in his mouth, allowing the armoured warrior to fire a missile down his throat. The dragon-like beast choked, sputtered, and shook about until Shanya and her comrade released him, but though he was certainly wounded, he was far from finished.

"Watch out!" Skull Kid called as Ridley spurted flames from his mouth yet again. "He's looking REALLY mad now!"

"He's always really mad when I'm around and my face isn't in the dirt…" the armoured warrior grumbled.

Ridley's flames would have licked hard across Shanya's cloak had she not reached out and stopped it as if it had run straight into a brick wall. She hadn't counted, however, on Ridley suddenly charging through the fire, slamming his full weight against her and sending her flying backward. The reptilian monster then slashed hard at Skull Kid, who just barely managed to avoid taking the full blow but still ended up taking a hit to his back as he tried to get out of the way. Ridley spread his wings and lifted off, preparing for another air strike when the armoured warrior fired her Grapple Beam again and latched onto his tail.

"Well, this oughta be fun…" she muttered before she rocketed toward Ridley at high speed.

She landed feet-first on his back, running up it as fast as she could and grappling his neck in a chokehold. He immediately starting thrashing about and trying to shake her off, but she still managed to seize him by the head, switching back to her Power Beam and firing against one side of his face to divert him back toward the balcony. The armoured warrior then jumped back to safety as Skull Kid summoned his marionettes, tangling Ridley's wings in their strings and sending him in a free fall toward the balcony once again. The moment he landed, Shanya delivered a series of hard slashes to his face, hands, and wings, her sheer rage and focus being all that was necessary to finally rip through his armour and do some significant damage.

"Stand back!" the armoured warrior called. "I'll finish him off!"

Ridley stumbled to his feet, only for the armoured warrior to leap toward him and kick him square in the chest, complete with a missile blast to send him teetering toward the edge of the balcony. With her nemesis momentarily stunned, the armoured warrior raised her hand to a strange bird-like statue behind them. From her hand sprouted twelve distinct symbols, each of them flying away and landing on a predetermined part of the stone surface, and with each of them in place, the statue's eyes lit up and its beak opened wide.

"You wanna do me a favour?" the armoured warrior growled at Ridley. "Go to hell, and this time? Stay there!"

From the statue's mouth fired a beam of pure energy, plowing straight into Ridley's exposed chest and seeming to rip straight through him. He roared and thrashed about, the beam holding him in place as it continued to singe and cripple him until it at last disappeared. With one final shriek of pain, Ridley let himself go limp and fall away into the abyss behind him, damning himself for losing to this wretched woman yet again. The armoured warrior stepped to the edge and looked over, steadily losing visibility of her mortal enemy and firing one more missile after him for good measure.

"Good riddance…" she muttered.

The warrior stepped away from the ledge and approached her two comrades. They initially thought she was about to thank them for their help until she held up her hand, demanding that they stayed where they were. They froze, Shanya gripping her weapon just in case things were about to ugly all over again, but the warrior merely changed visors and looked over them for a few brief moments, grunting in confusion afterwards.

"You're not coming up on my scan visor." she said. "You aren't natives, are you?"

Skull Kid and Shanya both looked at each other and wondered what that was supposed to mean, and also wondered what it would take to set this warrior against them. She seemed like the deliverer of justice they'd been sent to find, but she didn't exactly seem like someone who got along that well with others.

"We don't even know where we are right now, if we're being honest." Skull Kid finally answered.

"This is the planet Tallon IV. It's undergoing a Phazon epidemic. I was sent here hunting Ridley, but I figured I may as well straighten things out on the planet as long as I'm here.

"Well, yeah. We're not from around here. I'm Skull Kid. This is Shanya."

The armoured warrior nodded, and with a wave of her hand, her helmet vanished in a flash of light. Behind the visor was the face of a beautiful woman, her blond hair tied back in a ponytail and her blue eyes looking like they'd seen too many horrible things to count. It showed when she barely cracked a smile as she introduced herself.

"My name is Samus Aran." she said. "Now that we've got the introductions out of the way, would you mind telling me what you're doing here?"

Skull Kid quickly relayed all the information to Samus, who listened intently to their story and raised her eyebrows whenever she heard something strange. And that was compared to all the other things she'd seen on this planet and many others like it. Warriors from another world, and one without any sort of advanced technology at that. She wondered how they'd even managed to survive in such a world, but then again, she'd barely survived everything this planet had thrown at her even with her massive weapons arsenal.

"Interesting." she said once Skull Kid had finished. "So this Majora person can somehow read all your strategies because she's part of the same world as you…"

"Yeah." said Skull Kid. "That's why we need warriors from other worlds to help us…but if you're really busy here, that's fine. We can try and find someone else. Or we could help you take down whatever's making this 'Phazon' stuff."

Samus seemed to think it over for a brief moment, taking a look at the Chozo statue nearby and then at the glowing circle it had generated. Her mission was nearly complete, and though suspending it for any reason seemed like a bad idea, this Majora definitely seemed like more of an immediate threat.

"The Chozo Artifacts I deployed should be able to keep the seal on the Phazon Impact Crater for as long as they need to. Besides, once I neutralize the source of the Phazon, the entire planet will be cleansed in matter of hours no matter how corrupted it becomes."

"So is that a yes?" Skull Kid asked.

She smiled and re-engaged her helmet moments before the portal that would return them to the Tower of Spirits materialized. Skull Kid sighed out of relief, realizing that Majora's chances of ultimate conquest and destruction were starting to run thin. After all, nothing in their world or any other was more of a threat (or cooler for that matter) than a bounty hunter who could be credited with saving entire planets on her own.

"Ah, what the hell, right? As long as I can get back here as quickly as possible once we're done. Lead the way."

* * *

_**Ridley. Too big for Smash, but perfect size for Hyrule Warriors. Given how Tecmo Koei has had experience with Metroid, it might have made more sense to pick a scenario from Other M to drop Shanya and Skull Kid into, but considering talking about that game in a positive light can risk people getting severely butthurt, I decided to go with Prime instead. **__**Besides, Prime 1 is my favourite Metroid game, anyway.**_

_**I actually do like Other M, though.**_

_**So our first guest character appears? As for the second character, the future may not be written, but her appearance will be when she wakes her blade next chapter.**_

_**...I'll go sit in the corner now.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)


	23. Scourge on the Plegian Border

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

**Scourge on the Plegian Border**

As if Impa and Volga hadn't already seen enough bloodshed on a battlefield, their portal deposited them into just that. It was a pity that this vile and twisted land had been where they had come into this world, especially with a neighbouring land that was absolutely flourishing with purity not even a few miles beyond it. It was of course only made worse by the hundreds of soldiers dueling in the grime and filth below, falling in droves before the might of a few select warriors standing out what with their great deal of radiance.

"What in the world is going on here?!" Impa sputtered.

"My kind of entertainment, I'll say that much." said Volga, his spear at the ready. "Let's go!"

Impa groaned and rolled her eyes as her draconic comrade charged headlong down the muddy slope, wondering when she was ever going to catch a break before rushing after him. Fire and water rained down upon the dark-armoured warriors and faceless beasts rising from the ground, and those that resisted the elements were cut down moments later. These fiends looked as surprised as anyone would be to suddenly see two powerful new adversaries enter the fray, and many of them decided that it was in their best interest to fall back. Those that remained put up as much of a fight as they could, calling for as many reinforcements as they could.

Impa and Volga were quick to discover that it wasn't just swordsmen among their enemies, as several approached with bows, axes, and spears. To Volga's amusement, some of them rode in on winged black horses or even dragons.

"They must really be of a primitive mind to let scum like this take charge of them." the dragon knight sneered as he began to shift into his true form. "It honestly makes me sick."

Leaving her draconic friend to deal with the airborne soldiers, Impa took up her offensive stance as the soldiers closed in on her. To their amusement, she sheathed her blade and took a step backward, in their minds willingly allowing them to deal the finishing blow. Thus, one can imagine their surprise when the moment they stepped forward, Impa unsheathed her sword and rushed forward with such a force that the soldiers' armour and weapons bent before it, and the soldiers themselves fell lifeless.

Impa turned just in time to see an archer drawing his bow back, but before he could let his arrow fly, a warrior bearing the blue and white colors of the opposing army rushed in and cut him down with a single slash. The manner in which this warrior moved and his attire (a set of straps and plates with a cape flowing behind him) suggested he was some form of royalty, and when he turned to look at Impa with his steely eyes and yet youthful face, she was certain.

"Hail, traveller!" the prince called. "What brings you here?"

"I am Impa of the Sheikah." Impa answered with a smile. "To whom do I owe a favour now?"

The prince sheathed his magnificent blade for the moment and raised his hand to his heart before giving a respectful bow. Impa found it strange that she held the same regard for him that she did for Zelda despite not knowing a thing about him. Perhaps it was the Sheikah way to show nothing but respect for valiant rulers.

"I am Chrom, crown prince of Ylisse." the prince answered. "As grateful as I am for your help, I have to say you picked a pretty bad time to drop in."

"I noticed that." Impa replied. "At least I can tell who the villains are."

"Plegia isn't exactly subtle about their wretchedness, I'll admit."

At that moment, Volga dropped back down to the ground in human form, the dragon-riding Plegians having fallen before him all too easily. He stood upright, letting out a triumphant roar and pointing his spear toward the remaining crowd of dark soldiers.

"Nothing will save any of you from the fire!" he bellowed. "Whoever wishes to die next, step forward!"

The Plegian soldiers were rightfully terrified, many of them fleeing or foolishly attempting to harm Chrom's approaching allies, all of whom were just as much of a threat as Volga was. Whether it was the proud knight atop his armoured steed, a thief with some kind of candy in his mouth, a red-haired maiden aboard her magnificent pegasus, or even a shady-looking girl casting curses and seeming to laugh to herself when no one was looking, none of the Plegians stood a single chance against the Ylissians and fell in droves at their feet.

"Quite an impressive ensemble you have." said Volga.

"I like to think so." Chrom replied with a smile. "They're my closest friends, my family, even some old enemies that wanted a chance at redemption. They're all here because they want to do the right thing and fight for what they believe in…well, aside from Tharja over there. I'm not completely sure why she's on our side. Really, it's a wonder we even recruited her in the first place."

Impa smiled at Chrom's bold statement, for it spoke to her on an interesting level. She thought of everyone in her own army that she didn't trust. Skull Kid, Nabooru, Sheik when she was foolishly unaware that she was Zelda in disguise, Shanya to some extent, and even Link at one point. She'd either doubted their abilities or their loyalty to their cause, and yet she'd seen them all come through in one way or another. She knew that if every unit didn't work well in conjunction with each other, they didn't have a single solitary chance of victory.

"If I had as much faith in my allies as Chrom does in his…" she thought to herself.

No sooner had she thought that than she heard a familiar chime as someone materialized behind her. She gritted her teeth, already feeling the anger rush into her mind long before she turned to see another of Ganondorf's lackeys shooting her a devious grin.

"Now isn't this just the perfect backdrop?" Twinrova chuckled. "Nothing like the scent of death for me to appease my lord."

"Who in the blazing hells are you?!" Chrom demanded.

Impa drew her blade as more heavily armoured Plegian soldiers approached her and her two companions, not caring how or why her Gerudo nemesis was here but nevertheless prepared herself. Twinrova fired a torrential hailstorm down upon the heroes, Volga blowing it away with his flames as Impa and Chrom charged headlong toward the soldiers. One swung his axe only for Impa to push back and stumble him before impaling him straight through his chest. Another solider readied his lance to strike Impa, and that was when Chrom parried the weapon away and delivered a series of fast slashes.

Down came a blast of fire, Impa slamming her sword against the ground and generating a small tornado of water. Once the fire was doused, she leapt into the vortex and let it carry her up to her enemy. For a moment, Impa simply stared at Twinrova with the same fiery glare she'd given her in the Spirit Temple. When that moment passed, the Sheikah leapt headlong at the Gerudo with her sword reared back and poised to strike. She grew evermore irritated when Twinrova blocked the attack with her scepters, who sneered before pushing her back. As Impa fell back to the earth, she reared her sword back and stabbed it hard into the ground, with the shockwave that resulted sending the only remaining soldiers flying off of their feet.

"Hm. Perhaps I ought to take my little expedition somewhere else…oh, well." Twinrova sighed as she began floating away. "I let my dear new friend have a little fun with you in the meantime, Sheikah."

"Don't count on it!" Chrom shouted as he ran after the fleeing witch.

Impa seemed tempted to run after Chrom to give him more of a chance against someone she knew he'd have a hard time against, but the remaining armoured soldiers blocked her way. The first one to take a swing at her was the first to have his armour hacked apart, and the other soldiers quickly grew an overwhelming sense of dread as the Sheikah pointed her blade at them with a smirk.

"Alright, then." she said. "Does anyone else want to have a go at me? I'm ready if you are."

The soldiers showed the utmost reluctance just as the sound of wings flapping started to fill the air around them. The soldiers now looked more fear-stricken than ever, confusing Impa at first until she looked over her shoulder and noticed what they were looking at. All she had to do to know that this platinum-haired woman was trouble was sit back and listen to her sultry voice as she reprimanded her troops.

"Having a bit of trouble dealing with some simple stragglers, are we?" she muttered.

"Lady Aversa!" one of the soldiers stuttered. "We…"

"Oh, hush up. Run along and let me handle it if you must."

Impa took one look at Aversa and got an immediate wave of familiarity. An absurd amount of skin showing, a seductive look upon her face, and a general aura of darkness was all it took to remind the Sheikah of Cia. Top that off with her riding on the back of a black-skinned and red-eyed pegasus, and one had a case on their hands. Aversa looked at her newest enemy glaring up at her and merely smirked before casting several blasts of dark energy. Impa then ducked, dodged, and with the final bolt slashed clean through

"Ugh, another sorceress?" Impa scowled. "When did swords become so taboo for women?"

"What, and risk getting your scum all over me?" Aversa cackled. "It's unladylike and impractical, anyway."

"So what's the plan when your enemy closes the distance?"

There was no response because Impa didn't give her enough time to think of one; the Sheikah rushed forward and leapt high into the air, throwing her sword headlong toward Aversa in a boomerang-like fashion. Aversa herself conjured a barrier and deflected the sword before swooping down with her tome in hand and firing a beam of darkness from her hand, barely missing Impa as she vaulted backward. The Sheikah growled in anger before more wing flapping filled the air, and she looked over her shoulder to see what remained of the Plegian soldiers charging toward Chrom's allies, with many of them still bearing their draconic steeds alongside them.

"Skilled as they are, that might be too much for them…" she muttered to herself before calling out. "Volga! Take down those dragon riders! Leave this one to me!"

Volga smirked, impressed as ever with Impa's confidence before he reassumed his dragon form and flew after the soldiers. Impa herself turned back to Aversa just as her steed charged toward her, jumping onto its back and taking a hefty swing at its mistress, who in turn conjured a barrier and clashed the blade.

"You fight with a real anger in your swing." Aversa chuckled, disgusting Impa the longer she kept that sultry grin on her face. "Do you have something to prove? Maybe trying to show strength so your pathetic little troops don't lose morale?"

"In all honesty," Impa grunted, taking swing after swing at Aversa in a vain attempt to chip away her defenses. "I'm only second-in-command, and I'm not even second-best."

"Humility. Cute. How much do you think it's going to help you?"

"In the matter of making friends the right way? Very."

Finally fed up, Impa gathered all her energy and summoned forth her Focus Spirit, swinging with such fever that Aversa had no choice but to pull back, and even then, she let out a shriek as a deep slash formed on her chest.

"You wretched little tramp!" the witch screamed.

"Don't look at me." Impa scoffed as she landed back on the ground. "You're the one who decided outward appeal was more important than defense."

"Oh, you'd like to see me defend myself? I have a better idea."

Impa was mildly impressed when Aversa cast her tome up into the air, where it began to glow and change shape until it landed back in its owner's hand as a silver lance. With a shout of "How about I tear you into thin little strips?!", the Plegian femme fatale came at her opponent all "piss and vinegar" as Impa was sure Mako would put it.

"Good." Impa herself muttered. "Things are finally getting a wee bit interesting."

Impa and Aversa clashed, the former jumping backward and reaching into the pouch on her belt. Before Aversa had any time to react, Impa threw down a Deku Nut. The flash blinded her opponent and gave her just enough time to rush forward and heave her full weight into a strong kick, which Aversa's pegasus took in full force. The horse shrieked and bucked backward, jostling Aversa and letting Impa take another heavy swing at her. Had she not had her lance up just in time, it would have been over then and there. But no. The Plegian had to prolong the fight and irritate the Sheikah even further.

"You know, for as much as you whine about women not being more practical with their weapons," Aversa laughed as she morphed her lance back into a tome and repulsed Impa. "You really don't fight much like a woman. No grace in your form whatsoever."

"You really aren't the kind of person to be giving advice in that area." Impa spat. "Nor are you even in my league as a warrior."

Aversa sneered, and then grinned. Impa knew something bad was about to happen long before it happened, and even then was powerless to stop the thorny vines Aversa conjured from below curling around her ankle and yanking her down. She hit the ground, losing her breath and dropping her blade as she swallowed a cloud of dirt. She struggled, the thorns digging into her skin and drawing blood as she reached for her blade to cut herself free.

"Oh, don't go ruining the fun just yet!" Aversa cackled before firing a bolt of lightning at her opponent. "I like to play with my prey, after all."

Impa screamed as pain flared through her entire body, reaching for any possible escape method. Every time she did, Aversa sent another bolt through her, each more intense than the last. Don't forget your training, Impa told herself as each shock struck her. You were born to handle this.

It was paraphrasing an old Sheikah saying: "We are born to handle anything for our duty." Electrical torture wasn't included in any form of their training, however, and Impa kept screaming as burn after burn started to form upon her body. When she at last had an opening, she pulled her leg free of the vine and seized her blade, launching Aversa's next electrical attack back at her with a hefty swing.

As she reared back and prepared to leap at her again, though, Impa felt Aversa's javelin slice the side of her torso. The Sheikah warrior crumpled, unable to take any more pain for the time being and only able to stay weakened on her hands and knees while Aversa gloated from above.

"It seems I'm beyond your league altogether," the witch said with glee. "And the big game is about to come to an end!"

And Impa, still too scarred to recover in that instant, watched in strained fury as Aversa charged her most powerful strike yet.

And then there came the sound of feet thumping hard against the near ground. Then a streak of blue, and then…

"Wrong, witch! I say when it ends!"

Impa was just as shocked as Aversa when the latter was suddenly jostled off of her pegasus and slammed full force against the ground, looking up at this new warrior in rage and shock. This warrior bearing a tunic and cape of navy blue, a butterfly-shaped mask hiding the upper half of her face, and oddly enough the exact same blade as Chrom. Perhaps it wasn't as unique as Impa initially thought.

"Y-you rotten little beast!" Aversa shrieked. "Who do you think you're dealing with here?!"

The warrior didn't answer her. She rushed forward with her sword draw backward, and it was only by quickly generating a barrier in front of her that Aversa didn't take the likely lethal hit.

"A bump in the road at best." the warrior spat before turning to Impa. "You're not finished yet! Stand up!"

Impa was eager to do so, reaching for her potion and ingesting as much as could. Just like that, she was back on her feet, and what timing as Volga returned.

"Things are well over here, then?" the dragon knight asked.

"Well, they could certainly be worse…" Impa grumbled.

And they were certainly about to get worse as Aversa cast her hand forward, dark gateways forming on the ground and several more of the faceless monsters rising from them. Volga kept his focus on them, unleashing his flames and swinging his spear with the force of a thousand fists. Meanwhile, Impa and the masked warrior kept the pressure on Aversa, who by now had dropped her seductive and teasing act altogether when she realized her chances of her victory were slipping away at an alarming rate.

"Oh, get away from me, you filth!" she shrieked as she cast spell after spell at the approaching swordswomen.

"This is Gangrel's right hand?" the masked warrior scoffed. "And yet you seem to have a penchant for absolute cowardice when things don't go your way."

"Silence! You haven't seen what I'm truly capable of."

"I'm trembling with anticipation."

Aversa cast for her hand, the ground rupturing as geysers of darkness flew from the cracks. Impa strafed away, as did the masked warrior, and they charged forward. Impa drew another Deku Nut and slammed it down, once again blinding Aversa long enough for her and the masked warrior to rush forward. Aversa cast another spell that ruptured the earth, the two heroes breaking off in opposite directions. As Aversa fired upon the masked warrior again, the latter threw her blade skyward as it gleamed with a brilliant golden light. The moment she seized the blade, she came surging back downward and slashing at Aversa with such power that it was by pure luck the Plegian witch conjured a barrier and barely blocked it.

"Pathetic!" Aversa laughed.

"Not nearly so." the masked warrior scoffed. "Or did you forget there's two of us?"

Aversa turned to see Impa leap into the air, raising her hand and conjuring a series of watery kunai. With one swing of her arm, Impa cast the kunai toward Aversa, who blocked them all with a barrier and yet was heavily thrown off balance once Impa slammed back down onto the ground. As Aversa stumbled, Impa drew her blade again and swung. Aversa meanwhile morphed her tome into a lance again and shoved the Sheikah back.

Then she slashed hard at the masked warrior, who drew back in the few seconds it took Aversa to complete the swing, angling her sword in a way that allowed her to push back and slice Aversa hard cross the cheek. Now fully enraged, Aversa drew back and summoned up all the power she could from her tome, charging it with steadily escalating dark energy until she released it as a beam.

"AND NOW YOU ALL DIE!" she cackled.

"Don't count on it!" bellowed Volga.

She hadn't counted on the dragon knight planting himself between the beam and Impa and unleashing his flames in a beam of its own. The two beams struck each other, both Aversa and Volga pushing against each other as hard as they could, the victor of this clash becoming apparent in a matter of seconds. Indeed, Volga overpowered Aversa in a matter of moments, his flames pushing the darkness back until it returned the tome and generating such a blast that Aversa was shoved backward by the sheer force. She cast one last spell as she flew backward, the masked warrior reflecting it with one fast swing of her blade and sending it back to her, where it struck her hard in the chest and knocked all her breath out in one strike.

It was around this time that Impa looked over her shoulder and saw Twinrova floating there and watching the duel go on. The Sheikah grew panicked until she saw Chrom and his allies still fighting off the Plegian forces some distance away, and Twinrova's irritated expression was the only hint Impa needed to decipher that things weren't going as the Gerudo had hoped.

"Anything to say?" Impa asked in a mocking tone.

Twinrova sighed and rolled her eyes. Another day, another incompetent partner screwing everything up for her. Oh, well. Impa and Volga weren't Ganondorf's primary targets, and even then, she didn't need them dead. Just slowed a little.

"The hell with this." she finally said. "I've got bigger things to worry about. Enjoy your victory, Sheikah."

With a snap of her fingers, Twinrova vanished. Impa and Volga were understandably irritated that their enemy had escaped them yet again, but even more flustered was Aversa.

"Hey!" the Plegian shouted after her. "You can't just leave me here, you wench!"

"What can I say?" Impa said with a sneer. "You made a deal with the wrong person and now you're paying for it."

"Damn you all! I'll finish you right now!"

Aversa wrenched open her tome and began quickly uttering another incantation, but with her back against the wall and her most powerful ally having deserted her, it was too late. By the time she prepared her next spell, the masked warrior already strode forward and landed a single upward slash on the spine of her tome, splitting it clean in two. As the Plegian witch looked on in shock, Impa dashed forward, slamming her clenched fist against her chin and knocking her clean off of her feet. Aversa hit the ground, rolling a few feet with scratches and bruises all over her body, practically gasping for breath by the time she finally came to a stop.

"Nicely done." Volga said to Impa as he clapped his hand down on her shoulder.

"Sometimes all the villain needs is a good punch to the face."

Her pride hurting more than her body, Aversa steadily pushed herself to her feet, panting heavily and just about doubled over. As she looked up, she saw what little remained of the Plegian soldiers were panicked, without energy, and without any meaningful incentive to keep fighting. As much as she hated to do so, she called her mount and steadily pulled herself onto it, never taking her vengeful eyes off of Impa and her two companions, nor Chrom off in the distance.

"This isn't over, Ylissean scum!" she shrieked. "Gangrel will have your putrid little heads before long, I can promise you that!"

And with her soldiers following closely behind, Aversa rode her dark steed away and onto the horizon just as the sun started to part the ominous clouds. Their weapons raised, the Ylisseans let up a mighty cheer, another successful battle placing them one step closer to their ultimate victory. Chrom looked about with a smile, spotting Impa and Volga on the cliff overlooking them. He saluted them as they did for him before they proceeded away.

"My friends…" he said to himself. "Wherever you came from and wherever you go, may Naga watch over you always."

Satisfied, the masked warrior streaked away, noticing Chrom turn to look at her as she went. She heaved a sigh. How she wanted to reveal herself to him in full. How she wanted him to know who she was, where she came from, and what was coming. How she wanted him to know how much he meant to her. But now wasn't the time.

And time wasn't the one thing Grima would lay waste to.

"Elusive, aren't you?"

The warrior reached for her blade at the sudden voice, but when Impa dropped from the treetops and stood before her with a smile, she relaxed and returned the expression.

"I suppose so." she replied. "I don't really have a place amongst Chrom's army…not yet, anyway."

"And why would that be?" Volga asked as he stepped up alongside his Sheikah companion.

"My own personal reasons that I don't have the right to divulge to strangers."

"Then perhaps we should get better acquainted. We are Volga and Impa of Hyrule. And you are?"

The warrior hesitated. Though she supposed she could consider Impa and Volga allies after witnessing their admirable efforts on the battlefield, she couldn't afford to get close to anyone in any place but her own. Then again, feelings like that had nearly cost her very dearly time after time. Even when she came to that conclusion, however, she wasn't entirely convinced she could trust them. How could she? For all she knew, they were demons.

"My name is Marth." she finally said.

"And do I assume correctly when I say that isn't your real name?" asked Impa.

"What makes you say that?"

"I was raised to uncover hidden truths in all their forms. You say it without conviction, and so you either aren't confident in that name being yours or you're lying about it."

No sense hiding herself, then. The warrior smiled before steadily reaching up and removing her mask. She shook her head back and forth, freeing the rest of her long and luscious hair from under her cape. Where there was a mysterious and elegant warrior now stood a beautiful and yet hardened woman, bearing a strange resemblance to Chrom that Impa could decipher in seconds. His daughter, perhaps? It didn't explain how they appeared to be nearly the same age, but then again, sense had been a concept everyone had thrown out the window at this point.

"Well, you assume right, Impa." the woman said softly. "My real name is Lucina. So what brings you to this world of all others?"

"Our own world faces a calamity at the hands of a rogue goddess." Volga replied. "She can somehow read the movements of our army as long as they are part of the same world as her. As strange as it sounds, we seek warriors from other worlds to assist our cause."

"I see. And you had the idea of recruiting me?"

Impa shrugged.

"We had that idea, but it seems you're vital to your army's success."

"Don't worry. The Plegians took a huge hit today. They won't be causing any trouble anytime soon. Besides, the Shepherds won't even know I'm gone. I'm more of a vigilante to them than an actual unit, anyway. Count me in."

"I'm sure, but you are aware this is an entire other world you will be travelling to, yes?"

Lucina lightly smiled and pushed a fringe of hair away from her left eye. It was then Impa saw something peculiar. Within her eye lay a strange symbol. The same one she'd seen on the back of Chrom's cape and upon the armour of some of the Ylissean shoulders. In that same instant, the sword Lucina bore seemed to glow slightly, and though she wasn't sure how such things convinced her, Impa knew right away that Lucina was by far the perfect candidate she and Volga could find.

"Let's just say I have experience with things like this."

* * *

_**Fun little development tidbit: I was originally going to use Ike instead of Lucina as the second guest character since Radiant Dawn had at that point been the only Fire Emblem game I played...then Awakening dropped into my life.**_

_**And for the sake of full disclosure, I'm one of those guys that tries to get through Fire Emblem with every character intact. One of them dies? Start the chapter over and try again. Such is my way of playing.**_

_**And thus we have the princess of a doomed future, Lucina! Who shall we encounter next time? Well, he'll be here in short order as long as I don't fall in a pit...emphasis on the last word.**_

_**Hey there, corner, it's good to see you again.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)


	24. Assault on Gaol's Castle

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

**Assault on Gaol's Castle**

"So you trust Link with this whole 'warriors from other worlds' thing, right?" Lana asked. "That's not to say I don't, but considering he got the idea from Cia…"

"I've been with Link long enough to trust him through life and limb." Zelda replied. "I understand your concern, though."

This wasn't exactly the conversation they wanted to have after rushing past a large army duelling with some rather unusual airborne monsters and heading straight into a foreboding castle. They'd entered in search of the streak of light that had raced by them not too long ago, which oddly enough had been shouting "G-FORCE IN MY FAAAAAAAACE!" as it did so. Perhaps it was the warrior they had come searching for, or maybe it was just a random beam of light that happened to have its adrenaline on full blast.

In all honesty, it would be far from the strangest thing they'd seen in this world so far.

Even with her concern for Link having subsided for the time being, Lana still couldn't shake her sudden depression. Noticing it as quickly as it had sprung up, Zelda first looked around the corner to insure nothing would come at them when they least expected it, and then turned to her sorceress friend.

"Is there something else?" she asked.

"It's…it's something Veran said." Lana replied meekly. "She told me that Cia was the dominant half…and without her, the inferior half would waste away into nothing."

"I'd hardly call you an inferior half."

"But I'm a half nonetheless. An aftereffect of Ganondorf driving out Cia's morality."

"I…I don't understand."

Lana didn't expect her to understand right away, and she was having just as hard a time coming to terms with it.

"Cia's spirit latching onto Link and staying in the mortal world is the only reason I'm still here." she said, regretting it the second she saw Zelda's expression start to become grim. "Pretend that she's a lake and I'm one of the fish living within her. If she dried up, I'd suffocate."

"So if Cia dies…you die."

"More than that, if you can believe it. If Cia were to truly pass on, I wouldn't just die along with her. I would cease to exist. She would go on into the afterlife…but I would fade away into a black void of nothing."

It was a hollow feeling that she was sure every living thing felt when they thought about death. Chills ran up her spine and her palms became sweaty, and then she was reminded of all the friends she made. When she faded away, it would be as if she had never been there at all, and the only thing that would remain would be everyone's memories of her.

Link…she couldn't bear to think that she was growing concerned for her own safety when he was in just as much danger. She gripped her fist in shame, but then she felt Zelda touch her hand to her face. She turned to look at the princess, who had taken on an expression so fierce and determined that it could break down walls.

"As long as Link is alive…" Zelda said sternly. "Cia will sustain herself. You and him will both be okay."

"But…"

"You won't fade away. I promise you that you're going to stay in life with Link and I, and if the gods would have it any other way, then to hell with them."

Hearing Zelda say something blasphemous was the ultimate thing that she could have done to prove her resolve to Lana, and after standing there for a moment without a single thought as to what to say, the sorceress smiled.

"Thank you, Zelda…you're the best, you know?"

Zelda smiled in turn, but spun around and drew her rapier when there came a loud crash. Lana joined her in drawing her tome as several of the strange creatures rounded the corner, spotted them, and flew toward them at full force. Just when they were ready to engage in mortal combat, however, the wall beside the monsters blew apart, and from the hole dashed their streak of light, now revealing himself to be an angel. With his shaggy brown hair bobbing as he ran and his pearly white wings blending against his toga-like clothing, he disposed of the hideous creatures with a few well-placed arrows of light from his bow that seemed to be built up of two swords.

Impressive, indeed. He could definitely be of great use to them, though it seemed like he had his own mission at the moment. As he had yet to notice the two warrior women, Zelda and Lana looked at each other for a brief moment and shrugged their shoulder before calling to him.

"Excuse me!" Zelda called.

Letting out a small shout of panic, the angel spun around with his bow at the ready. Lana charged a spell and prepared to fire when the angel took a good look at them and relaxed.

"Whoops!" he laughed as he eased his bow. "Sorry! That, uh…that would have been bad."

"You're telling me." Zelda breathed before giving him a short bow. "Princess Zelda of Hyrule at your service. My companion here is Lana."

"I'm Pit, captain of Palutena's guard. I'm here hunting Dark Lord Gaol."

As quickly as Pit had introduced himself, a soft and almost motherly sounding voice echoed from somewhere, speaking directly to him but somehow with Zelda and Lana still managing to hear it.

"Pit, it looks like there's some sort of commotion going on in the courtyard. Probably Underworld Forces. You should go have a look."

"Mind if we tag along?" Lana asked.

"Oh, my! You can hear me?"

"Yes. I assume you're Palutena?"

The voice laughed.

"I am, indeed." she replied. And not to rain on Pit's parade or anything, but we'd be more than happy if you helped him out."

"Hey, I'm really capable on my own!" Pit exclaimed, flushing bright red the more he thought about it. "…I mean, I can't fly on my own, but…y'know what? Never mind."

Pit took off running toward the nearby doorway, Zelda and Lana following closely behind. As they ran, they heard distinct shouts and the sound of a blade cleaving through stone and steel, and as they rounded the corner, they spotted the source. Slashing through the strange monsters (who Zelda and Lana assumed were the so-called Underworld Forces) with a blade even larger than himself was a tall and muscular man with shoulder-length black hair and a thick layer of facial hair. A truly mighty warrior if there ever was one.

"How in the world did a human make it all the way here on his own?!" Palutena said.

As if he had somehow heard her, the warrior turned to the three heroes and smirked.

"Well, I didn't expect to see an angel here." he said in a deep voice that suited him all too well. "Hope this doesn't mean I've kicked the bucket."

"Amazing…" Palutena spoke up. "He's taking on Underworld Forces single-handedly and there's barely a scratch on him.

Pit shrugged

"Yeah…are we sure this guy's really human?"

"You havin' a private conversation with yourself, angel face?" the swordsman asked.

"Huh? …oh, sorry. I'm Pit, servant of the goddess Palutena."

"Palutena, huh? And how about you two?"

Zelda gave the swordsman a short bow, as did Lana. Though he seemed like a decent person, there was a certain angered determination in his voice that shot intimidation through them. It was the same sort of air they got from Volga, and if there was one thing they knew about men like that, it was to never anger them.

"I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule." Zelda started.

"And I'm Lana, overseer of the Triforce." Lana finished. "We're helping Pit to defeat someone named Dark Lord Gaol?"

The swordsman smirked and anchored his massive blade on his shoulder. A good sign, they hoped.

"Ah, so you're all here for a slice of the pie, too?" he asked.

"Pie?! Where?!" Pit suddenly exclaimed.

"I mean, I get you three are probably doing it for justice's sake and all. Me? I'm just in it for the reward money. As long as we're all here, how 'bout we work together? Nothin' to lose if we do, right?"

"Hmm…Lady Palutena, what do you think?"

Palutena showed some hesitation in her answer as anyone would expect her to, but nonetheless answered with certainty.

"He makes a compelling argument. All four of you should be able to rip through this place without much hassle."

Pit shrugged. If Palutena insisted, then he was in no position to argue.

"Well, alright!" he said with a determined grin. "Begin Operation Dark Lord Suppression!"

"Smooth sailing!" the swordsman beamed as the four of them took off down the hallway. "I'm Magnus, by the way. Don't whack me over the head or anything, and we'll all get along fine."

The Underworld monsters flowed in from every conceivable space the moment they detected the heroes' presence, and the heroes themselves wasted no time in drawing their weapons and letting loose with whatever they had. Magnus's strength presented itself in full force as he swung so hard that it sent the monsters flying backward every time he managed to strike them. Pit fired arrow after arrow, and when the monsters got too close, he split his bow into twin short swords and slashed his way through them.

"Pit!" Lana called, casting a quick bolt of lightning. "Behind you!"

The Underworld monster looming over Pit's shoulder went down in one hit, and Pit himself was quick to return the favour with an arrow to the one targeting Lana. Zelda launched forward with flurry of slashes, vaulting off of Magnus's back and letting fly with a Light Arrow, killing at least a dozen monsters with the resulting shockwave.

"Hey, not bad for a fair damsel." Magnus laughed.

"Trust me, Magnus." Zelda said with a smirk. "I may be a princess, but I get things done."

"I can see that. Oh, and heads up!"

Zelda ducked just in time for Magnus to launch another set of monsters away with a powerful swing, and then launched forward with his knee outstretched to pummel even more. This savage yet highly effective fighting style hinted at something else going on within Magnus's mind. He obviously wanted his reward money for getting this mission done, but it looked almost like this "Dark Lord Gaol" had left a personal mark on him, and that was what drove him to cut down as many of the hideous monsters as he could.

"I've met some powerful mercenaries in my time, but I have to say Magnus really outdoes them all." Lana said in mild amazement.

"He may be a mercenary, but as long as he's making the world a better place, I'd say he's a perfectly good man." Palutena replied.

Zelda and Lana smiled at the goddess's judgment just as Magnus shot them a look of mild disdain.

"What, you're hearing voices, too?" he scoffed. "…hey, y'know what? While you've got your goddess on the line, you mind telling her to get her act together? My world's on the edge of collapse while she's sitting around up in the clouds with her thumb up her…"

"I take it back." Palutena muttered before Magnus could go any further. "This guy's a jerk…"

With a dozen more monsters falling at the warriors' feet, they rounded the corner and looked up the carpeted and spiralling red staircase leading into an ominous doorway high above. Somehow they all got the feeling that this was their ultimate destination, and said feeling was confirmed a moment later.

"Get ready, everyone!" Palutena called. "Gaol is just up ahead! "

"Alright!' Pit cheered. "Let's do this!"

Without any hesitation, the four warriors dashed higher and higher until they strode through the doorway, coming to a stop within a darkened throne room. Seated upon the throne with its arms folded in a dominating manner was some sort of humanoid in deep purple armour, its eyes glowing green from within its helmet. It seemed to darken the very room with just its presence, but neither Pit nor Magnus showed any fear.

"Prepare for defeat, Dark Lord Gaol!" Pit hollered.

"Ah, Palutena's little messenger boy." the armoured behemoth drawled in a voice that made it sound like several people speaking at once. "And Magnus! Always a pleasure…"

Magnus sneered and reared his blade back, ready as he ever would be.

"Sorry I'm late. I had other business to attend to." he growled.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Lana asked.

"Hoo, boy. Does she know me."

Not giving Zelda or Lana any time to wrap their head around the idea of this monster being a woman, Magnus leapt into battle, going straight for Gaol who conjured more of the hideous Underworld monsters. Zelda rushed to Magnus's aid while Lana and Pit held fast against the incoming beasts. They fired, launching the monsters back with every blast they fired with Lana shielding them when they returned fire.

"It's just like you to sell yourself off to the Goddess of Light, Magnus…" Gaol seethed as she conjured a blade of darkness and swung it hard. "And you can't even manage that on your own."

"Hey, in this economy, everyone's looking for work." Magnus replied as he pushed back. "Even part-time."

Gaol leaped backward, holding her hand skyward and building up her energy before unleashing it in a massive beam. Zelda and Magnus strafed away, Zelda firing a series of Light Arrows that Gaol parried with a simple wave of her hand. Magnus then planted his sword deep into the floor, and with a mighty heave, he splintered a massive chunk of stone upward and knocked Gaol off-balance for but a moment. When that moment passed, the Dark Lord vaulted backward and remained airborne, firing a charged sphere of energy down at her previous attacker.

"Forgive me, Magnus, but I'm afraid I've lost all interest in letting you live." she growled.

"Forgive me if I don't feel the same way!" Zelda retorted as she cast herself forward and swung her rapier hard.

The energy sphere went flying back at lightning speed, plowing into Gaol and sending her slamming against the back wall. Perhaps dead man's volley wasn't a thing in this world. Not that it really mattered. At least Zelda now knew that this was a perfectly manageable foe.

"You!" Gaol roared.

"Oh, come on, who's fault was that? Really?"

Gaol dove toward Zelda with her armoured hand outstretched, Pit placing himself between the two of them and slashing hard. Gaol recoiled, swinging her foot at Pit's head only for Lana to block it with a barrier. Frustrated even further, the dark lord vaulted backward and raised her hand, calling up a torrent of dark clouds.

"You know what I love?" she asked. "Reinforcements."

"Well, I guess the four against one thing wore itself a little thin." Lana replied.

Gaol cast the smoke forward, and from it appeared a violet-robed and violet skinned creature with a single large eye on its face and a wooden staff in its hand. Without a word, it began casting bolts of magic from said staff that all four warriors struggled to avoid. Magnus rolled to the side while Lana conjured a barrier to deflect the bolts. Smiling the wizard released a beam of its energy that Lana caught with her lightning, but to her surprise, it overpowered her within the span of a few seconds. She stumbled backward, the wizard firing another bolt that forced her to sueeze her eyes shut in preparation.

"Heads up!" Pit suddenly shouted.

And Lana gasped as Pit tackled her out of the way, taking the full force of the bolt and weakly stumbling backward as smoke started to gather around his torso. Lana stood suddenly, flattered that Pit would go out of his way to protect her but horrified that he had been hurt in the process. She began to conjure a healing spell and prepared for the worst when the smoke cleared, but the results of the wizard's bolt weren't so much shocking as they were very bizarre.

"Um…what just happened?" she asked as Pit blindly stumbled about with his upper body replaced with a vegetable (which looked just as strange as it sounded).

"I think Pit just turned into an eggplant…" Zelda said. "Um…Palutena?"

Palutena laughed as if this wasn't something that anyone else would be scarred for life by.

"Don't worry. He'll change back in a second or two. It used to be that he had to go to nurse to get that fixed."

Sure enough, Pit returned to normal a moment later, dodging Gaol's lasers as he did so.

"Yeah." the angel laughed. "I had to visit the nurse so many times that they named the place after me…y'know. Hos-PIT-tal?

"And that's why you're one of the great minds of our generation…" Gaol groaned.

"Who asked you?!"

Zelda quickly dispatched the eggplant wizard with a series of slashes just when it seemed ready to change another one of her allies into an oddly shaped vegetable (which sounded more ridiculous the more she thought about it). It seemed the Dark Lord wasn't finished with her summons, because she raised her hand and called up another cloud that she cast onto the floor before the heroes. When the smoke faded, what could only be described as a giant human heart with limbs stood in front of them and let out a vile and reverberating roar.

"Everyone, watch out!" Palutena called. "It's a Clubberskull!"

The hideous beast began lumbering toward the heroes, shaking the ground with every step it took. It raised its limp high and brought it down, Lana rushing underneath it and conjuring a barrier to repel it. It stumbled backward, where Zelda and Pit fired a volley of arrows into it to send it back even further. Finally Magnus rushed forward and seized one of its limbs in both arms.

"Just one more hurdle to jump over. No problem!"

With a mighty roar, Magnus summoned all of his strength and heaved the Clubberskull off the ground, slamming it against Gaol before giving another pull and slamming it against the wall. Said wall splintered, and with a powerful blast of lightning from Lana, the hideous creature went flying out of the castle and into the chasm below.

"You…you honestly think I'm done with you?!" Gaol bellowed.

Fed up and wanting their blood served as a fancy cocktail, Gaol charged up all the energy she had left in both her hands and fired a series of criss-crossing beams. The four warriors took up defensive positions, Lana in the forefront and beginning to muster up as much energy as she could. Just when the beams were about to all collide with them at once, Lana slammed her tome against the floor and generated a spherical barrier around them. When the beams made contact, they reflected, giving Lana enough time to drop the sphere and conjure more barriers to keep reflecting the beams until they collided with Gaol. Each strike sent a wave of pain through her body and steadily forced her higher into the air.

"Now!" Lana called. "Finish her!"

And with all his strength built up, Pit rushed forward and planted both feet against Gaol's chest, launching her backward and slamming her hard against the wall.

"Dark Lord Gaol!" he bellowed. "In the name of the goddess Palutena and all that is good in this world and all others! YOU! ARE! HISTORY!"

He drew back his bow, letting the light build up to fantastic peak before he released it. The arrow slammed into Gaol, exploded into an array of colours, and wracked her body with the pure power within in it. Gaol's screams of agony were the only thing that could be heard aside from the shining heavenly light.

"Dark Lord suppressed!" Pit cheered.

"Nice work, angel face!" Magnus said with a laugh. "You too, ladies!"

Their satisfaction was short-lived. As Gaol started to fall back to the ground, she clutched at her head and screamed in complete agony. The strange lights within her helmet faded out, and her voice suddenly regained a normal pitch as she let out one final gasp of breath and hit the floor. The moment she made contact, the top half of her armour shattered, and now the warriors could all see what lay inside.

"She's just a human…" Pit said, his spirits starting to quickly drop as he saw the admittedly beautiful young woman that Gaol truly was. "What have we…"

"Don't worry, Pit." Palutena said softly. "Look, she's still breathing."

Still breathing but barely conscious. Gaol groaned and weakly lifted her bare arm, steadily moving it about as if she was searching for something.

"Mmm…Mag….nus…" she whispered.

"It's alright, Gaol. I'm here…" Magnus said softly, gently taking her hand just when it was about to fall to the floor again. "I'm sorry it had to be this way."

Pit meekly smiled, unable to fully comprehend what was going on and yet relaxing when Zelda lightly touched his arm.

"Let's let them be." she nodded. "I get the feeling they've got a lot of catching up to do."

Pit nodded, but just when it looked like he was about to say something in response…

"Zelda! Pit!" Lana called. "Underworld forces are gathering outside!"

Leaving Magnus to console Gaol (whoever she truly was to him), Zelda and Pit followed Lana to the castle's balcony and saw an alarming number of twisted monsters approaching from the skies. Not just the Underworld troops they'd been battling, but several monsters they recognized as belonging to Ganondorf, and who else would be leading this unholy coalition but Ghirahim, looking as flustered and angry as he'd ever been.

"Sheesh. What's his problem?" Pit asked.

"You're going to have to be more specific." Lana said with a smirk. "He's got too many problems to count."

"Well, either way, by the power of light and the heavens, he's…what the heck?!"

No sooner had Ghirahim stepped within the boundaries of the castle did a flash of light interrupt him. The warrior that materialized from it, however, was not the one Zelda had been expecting.

"It's him…"

If Zelda was surprised to see the Fierce Deity, then Ghirahim was shocked beyond understanding as the warrior god slashed down his numbers by the dozen.

"Damn it all! Not you again!"

"Servant of the Demon King, befoul this place no more!"

The monsters put up as much of a fight as they could, but the beams of light the Fierce Deity fired from his blade as well as the blade's mighty swings. When Ghirahim himself let his rage carry him into his final form, even that wasn't enough to stand against this literal god of war. They clashed for a brief moment before the Fierce Deity pushed him back and slashed him hard across the chest. The blood-curdling scream the Demon Lord let out was practically earth-shattering, though it seemed more ashamed than anything, validated when he vanished a moment later.

This was enough to impress and slightly intimidate Zelda. Now she knew what their newfound third adversary was truly capable of, and though she'd regret it, she cursed Link for challenging him. In that moment, the Fierce Deity looked right at her, and though they were miles apart, she felt as if he were looking right into her soul, made even worse when he vanished from that spot and reappeared right in front of her.

"Byrne tells me your best soldier issued a challenge to me." he said.

So Link was her best solider now? Not that she was disappointed by that claim. She stood firm and sheathed her rapier, but didn't release her grip on it just in case things got ugly. She was no stranger to that by now.

"Hardly a challenge if I'm being honest. More so we could come to some kind of understanding. Why are you fighting us when we're all trying to stop Majora?"

The Fierce Deity sneered. He may have been impressed by Zelda's willingness to stand up to him and indeed her power on the field of battle, but what he wasn't impressed by was her stubborn attitude regarding this situation.

"I know who you are, Princess Zelda, and I know what you've done and what you're capable of. It's commendable, but Ganondorf is one thing, and without the Triforce, you couldn't even match up with him. Majora is something else entirely. Something you aren't prepared for."

"Which is why we've focused on building up our ranks. "

"All you're doing is giving Majora more blood to spill, and that's something she'll be glad to do."

In that moment, Zelda made full eye contact with him, fully agitated by his stubbornness that reminded her a lot of…Link?

Upon further examination, Zelda suddenly felt the same steeled determination in the Fierce Deity that she felt in Link. And then she further assessed all the swings she'd seen him pull off. It was hard to compare with the Fierce Deity using a two-handed longsword rather than the sword and shield style Link used, but they had more or less the same tactics: swing hard but be prepared to push back if anything goes wrong. Bearing in mind that the Fierce Deity could also release an attack similar to the Skyward Strike, and how Link would sometimes grasp his sword with two hands to put greater force into his swing and was in general capable of vastly more jaw-dropping feats than nearly every warrior she'd ever seen.

But that couldn't be possible. Link had insisted that despite him seeming familiar, the two had never met before…or had they?

"No…there's no way that's possible."

Whatever she thought or whatever her allies would think, the Fierce Deity pointed his blade at her and delivered his final declaration. She felt every single word of it, and though she had no intention of obeying him, she knew he was as serious as anyone could be.

"I will only say this once." he said in a booming voice like that of a king. "Majora is too much for you and your soldiers to handle, and I am fully prepared to stop you if you decide to do anything foolish. If you value your life or theirs at all, then do not interfere!"

And before anything more could be said, the warrior god was gone, leaving Zelda and Lana to wonder quite literally everything about the Fierce Deity. They then realized that their objective in this world had been exposed right as Pit came walking up to them again.

"So that's what you two are doing here?" he asked.

"More or less." Lana replied. "But it looks like you're busy with the Underworld Army."

"Well, hey, if there's another world in peril, I can't just overlook it…I mean, as long as that's okay with you, Lady Palutena."

Palutena laughed from her spot up in the heavens, and Zelda and Lana quickly grew to love her even more when her generosity showed itself.

"The Underworld Forces will have taken a pretty big hit now that Gaol is out of the picture," the goddess replied. "So I guess it would be alright. And it's just like you said. Whether it's our world or anyone else's, we can't let it be laid waste to. But be careful, Pit. I sense that I won't be able to assist you where you're going. I won't even be able to grant you the Power of Flight there."

"Power of Flight?" Lana asked.

Pit sighed and scratched at the back of his head in what seemed like absolute embarrassment.

"Yeah, y'know how I was telling you about how I couldn't fly on my own? I was serious. Lady Palutena can grant me the power to fly, but only for five minutes at a time."

"Really?" Zelda asked. "But you've got wings. Can't you just flap them and fly that way?"

"I dunno. I guess whatever powers that be decided they didn't want me to be too OP if you know what I mean."

"OP?"

"Overpowered."

That seemed to make things less uplifting than they had hoped, but then Zelda remembered just what her blue-haired companion was capable of. Lana smiled and pulled out her tome, muttering an incantation that materialized as a ball of energy, and when that ball struck Pit's wings, they began to glow and stretched to their full span. Pit himself seemed surprised, while Lana simply looked on with satisfaction.

"Not to worry, Lady Palutena." the sorceress said. "I can take care of that. As long as I can keep my magic going, Pit will fly as long as he sees fit."

"Wow…uhh…okay. I'm honestly jealous…damn, maybe Magnus was right about me needing to get my act together."

"Um…sorry?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. Well then, Pit, looks like you've got another world to save. Good luck."

Pit at that point had been somewhat preoccupied cheering and flapping his wings excitedly to care, but as soon as he saw Lana generate a portal before them, he took up his bow and readopted a serious demeanour.

"Okay. Whatever waits beyond that doorway, we'll rake 'em through the coals!" he said in a manner that really didn't suit him.

He didn't even wait for his newfound allies and bounded through the portal, leaving said allies to look at each other with confused grins.

"Well, I like his enthusiasm." Lana laughed as she followed him.

"So I assume you have total faith in him?"

"Hey, he turned into an eggplant for me. How much more proof of his loyalty do I need?"

Zelda stayed behind for just a moment, pondering on who she had just bore witness to. The Fierce Deity brought up so many feelings of uncertainty within her that she didn't even know where to begin, but she wasn't concerned for herself in this case. It was Link she was worried would take her suspicions an entirely different way.

"You seemed troubled about something." Palutena asked. "Does that man have any significance to your quest?"

"He does…but I think there's more to it than that."

* * *

_**And the plot thickens even further as our third guest character drops in. **__**As for our fourth and final guest, let's just say...he's really feeling it!**_

_**I regret nothing.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)

_**Pit, Captain of Palutena's Guard- **_"The Return of Palutena" from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Gaol, Dark Lord of the Underworld- **_Boss theme from Kid Icarus Uprising


	25. Heroes on the Gaur Plain

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

**Heroes on the Gaur Plain**

"Whoa…"

This land of lush rolling hills, extended cliffs, and perfect blue skies was the exact location that warranted such a response. The only thing that seemed out of place was the gargantuan and looming figure of…SOMETHING far off in the distance. It was humanoid in shape, wielding some kind of sword that stuck into the titanic mountain behind them…or wait…that mountain was a humanoid shape, too!

"Were these things alive at some point?" Mako asked. "I mean…what even are they?"

Putting their impressions of this beautiful land to the side, they rightfully suspected that something would have followed them. They weren't so foolish as to walk right into their hidden adversary's trap, but as long as said adversary would remain hidden, why not have a little bit of fun with it in the meantime? Thus, Mako stretched and let the obnoxious calling begin.

"Gee, it sure is boring around here!" he yelled, a big stupid grin on his face as he barely kept himself from laughing.

"My boy, this peace is what all true warriors strive for!" Link replied in a deep and silly voice that didn't suit anyone, let alone him.

"I just wonder what Ganon's up to!"

As they'd hoped, they heard a disgusted groan, and with a flash of violet light, Vaati materialized on the plateau before them

"Yes, that's very amusing…" he said.

A few moments of the two heroes glaring at him was the satisfaction Vaati had been craving in this encounter, and his vanity didn't stop there. He wanted these two to remember everything about him before he finished them off.

"Come now, gentlemen." he said. "Say my name."

Pride incarnate, it seemed. Mako took a few good looks at him, recognizing him from the battle on the Great Sea but not having an idea who he was.

"Sorry, man. Not ringing any bells."

"Oh? Well, I've yet to see you forge your place in history, Zora. And what about you, hero?"

While Mako performed the appropriate insulting gesture complete with a shout of "Screw you, too, ya pompous jackass!", Link looked at the violet-skinned figure and remembered a text he'd come across detailing him. He was an ancient evil, perhaps even older than Ganondorf and managing to be as much of a threat, yet here he was in the Demon King's servitude.

"You're Vaati the Wind Mage." he said.

"Very good. At least one of you knows me."

"You weren't remembered as anyone worthwhile if that's what you were hoping."

Vaati sneered in disgust. A hero this boy may have been in combat, but certainly not in personality. Link saw Vaati's face twist in annoyance, offering a shrug and smirk in response.

"Sorry," he said. "But compared to Ganondorf, you really aren't anything special."

"Ganondorf, yes. The one you couldn't even come close to harming. A little bit like this new friend of mine, I'd say."

Link and Mako immediately lost their cocky grins when they heard a strange and almost mechanical sounding rush split the silent air, and they looked up just in time to see a hulking metal behemoth land in front of them. The claws on its spindly fingers and what seemed like a huge cannon on its back was the first sign that this thing meant business, and that was putting aside the glowing red eyes and the booming and growly voice that came out of it.

"And which little meat puppets have ya brought me, eh?" he asked.

"A few little friends from my own world." Vaati said with a patronizing grin. "They're starting to become a royal thorn in my side, so if you could help me deal with them, I'd much appreciate it."

The metal monster laughed and swung at the two heroes with his claws, Link leaping forward and blocking them with his shield. He assumed that this thing would be rather powerful given its size and speed, but he certainly didn't expect to get thrown backward when the blades made contact. Metal Face then slammed his claws into the ground and ripped up the chunk of earth Link and Mako stood upon, and in a panic, they jumped away as he threw it with all his might.

"Come on, then." Metal Face cackled. "I ain't givin' ya a handicap! How long's it gonna take ya to get it in gear?"

"Long enough to know you got a big mouth, you rusty hunk of junk!" Mako shouted.

Against his teacher's cries to hold, Mako rushed toward the metal monster with his daggers raised, dodging the beams and claw swipes as he did so before leaping high and slashing hard. To his shock, though, his blades did little more than bounce off.

"Oi! That almost tickled!" Metal Face laughed before kicking Mako away like a bug.

Mako rolled over half a dozen times before coming to a stop at Link's feet. Even though he got up almost right away, the young Zora was practically doubled over and clutching at where he had taken the hit

"This is unbelievable! I didn't even make a dent in him!" he cried. "What the hell are we gonna do?!"

"Master," Fi chimed from within Link's sword. "I regret to inform you that we have less than a 1% chance of damaging this opponent in our current state. Though I am not satisfied about it, I recommend we retreat."

As much as they hated running from a fight, it wasn't truly a fight if the opponent was invincible. Not seeing any other alternative, Link and Mako took off running as fast as they could across the plain, jumping over all the rocks and crevasses before them as they did so.

"Oh, come now! Don't go!" Vaati mockingly called. "The party's only just begun!"

They didn't care if it was cowardice or not. There was no sense in continuing when there was an unstoppable metal monster in their midst. Said unstoppable metal monster didn't seem ready to let them go just yet, as flames spurted from his ankles and launched him high into the air, coming to a stop right in front of the fleeing heroes.

"Now where the bloody hell do ya think you're going?!" he asked. "Don't be spoilin' the fun like that!"

"Oh, for the love of…" Mako growled. "Argh! You want all this attention like it means something? Fine! Let's blow up every last bit of this guy if we have to!"

They strafed around Metal Face, looking for any possible chink in his body while he kept on firing and slashing away at them. Link rolled away from the claws and began running up Metal Face's leg, slashing at the joint and hoping that would be enough to down him for a little while. Though it stumbled the metal behemoth, it otherwise didn't cause any lasting damage and Link was forced to jump away to avoid the claws again.

Make meanwhile began climbing up Metal Face's back while he was distracted, hoping to find some sort of weak point. Sadly, all that happened was Metal Face noticing almost right away and plucking him off. He looked at him dangling in front of him for a moment, shook his head in disapproval, and finally slammed the young Zora hard against the ground. Just when he was about to bring his claws in for the kill, Mako generated a pool of water underneath himself and sank into it and out of Metal Face's grasp, reappearing from another one a good distance away.

"How in the…" Metal Face started.

"Been practicing that kind of stuff on the side." Mako jeered. "This is one of the rare times I actually got it to work."

Irritated but otherwise not phased, Metal Face grunted and pulled his claws from the dirt.

"Huh. Not bad, I s'pose…" he growled before turning to Vaati. "Well, come on then, wind boy! Join the fun if you've got a spine!"

"You know, my metal friend," Vaati chuckled. "I think I will."

The Wind Mage headed straight for Link, slashing at him with pressurized air that the young Hylian felt close to his skin every time he blocked it. One tiny slash made it through, making a deeper cut than he thought possible along his cheek. While Vaati smirked in mild satisfaction, Link only became angrier.

"You really are scum, you know that?!" Link growled as he unleashed a Skyward Strike.

"Oh, I know." Vaati laughed. "But I like to think that I'm scum with a little bit of shine to it."

"Polish a Cucco shit, it's still a Cucco shit."

They clashed, Vaati moving much faster than Link had anticipated and trying numerous times to blind him with either quick gusts of dirt or his cloak. At this point, Link felt more irritated by him than actually threatened, at least until he conjured a gust of wind that sent him flying skyward. Vaati rushed up after him, generating a second gust of wind set to launch him even higher when Link whipped out his Hookshot.

"How about you join me?" the hero shouted as he launched the hook. "It's one hell of a view!"

"Don't mind if I do!"

Link immediately regretted his decision when Vaati swerved up past him and kicked him hard in the chest. He didn't even fully realize what had happened until he hit the ground at full force, swearing he'd made a full-size dent in it. Vaati came surging down after him, his fist illuminated with dark energy and packing an earthshaking punch that Link was barely able to flip away from. Mako meanwhile stayed on the evasive side as Metal Face kept right on toying with him. Teacher and student ended up back to back, their patience and their courage nearing its end.

"This is just plain ridiculous!" Link shouted.

"Well, it can't get any worse, right?" Mako asked.

That was when Metal Face (now hovering a few feet off the ground) aimed the cannon on his back at them with a beam of energy built up and ready to fire, and they could do nothing more than stare at it in disgust.

"Oh, f*ck me…" Mako groaned.

"TIME TO DIE!" Metal Face laughed as the beam fired.

The very ground beneath them crumbled away as the beam made contact and they scrambled for some kind of proper footing, Mako managing to jump away in time while Link went tumbling into the crater below. He struck every vulnerable inch of himself on the way down, the roaring of the collapsing ground and the laughter of his two opponents filling the air and thoroughly enraging him.

As he came to a stop, he'd lost practically all his energy. As he looked up, he saw two things he was in no mood to see. One was several mid-sized metal creatures of the same material as Metal Face divebombing out of nowhere and began chasing after Mako. The other was Vaati lowering himself into the crater, so wrapped up in his smugness that he hadn't even noticed the four warriors carefully creeping onto the battlefield. Neither did Link, though, and as the hero and the mage glared at each other, it was suddenly as if the two of them were all that existed.

Never had Link felt such hatred for anyone. Not even Ganondorf.

"If you're gonna finish me, stop wasting my damn time and do it!"

"Oh, I'll be glad to." Vaati cackled, raising his hand as the darkness began to build. "But first…I want to hear you cry!"

He heard a cry, but not one he was expecting and certainly not one he was hoping for.

"BACK SLASH!"

And Vaati let out an agonized scream as a blade of pure energy ran down his back and launched him forward onto his hands and knees. Link looked up from his downed state to see a boy with hair as shaggy and blond as his own, wearing a red vest and black sweater, but what really caught Link's attention was his sword. The red hilt stretched to about halfway up the laser-like blade, and within the space in the hilt's center was a glowing symbol of some sort.

As fascinated as Link was as he rolled over and tried to lift himself to his feet, his waning strength wasn't nearly enough. It seemed this newcomer was perfectly aware of that as Mako jumped down into the crater alongside him as he laid his hand on Link's shoulder and tried to help him up.

"Wiped out by the looks of it." he said before he looked over his shoulder. "Sharla!"

"Already on it! Heal Bullet clear!"

Something struck Link in the back, yet he felt oddly rejuvenated. The boy reached out his hand to him and he took it without question, noticing the other three warriors as he stood. One was a muscular young man with spiky reddish-brown hair and some sort of gunlance, a woman with a large gun anchored on her shoulder, and a middle-aged man with a sword in his left hand while his right arm was covered by a cape.

"Wasn't a good idea coming around here with Mechon on the prowl." the blond-haired boy said with a soft half-smile. "But no matter. Name's Shulk."

"Link, and this is Mako." Link breathed as Shulk heaved him to his feet. "Thanks for the backup."

"My pleasure. Having some trouble here?"

"We need to get out of here! I'm not sure how effective your weapon is against those things, but we haven't been able to make a dent in them!"

"Don't worry. I've got just the thing. Monado! ENCHANT!"

The symbol within the Monado changed, and it emitted an aura that latched upon Link and Mako's weapons as well as those of Shulk's comrades. At Shulk's sudden warning, Link turned just in time to slash at the spider-like Mechon making its move toward him, and to his joy, his sword cleaved the mechanical creature in half.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Mako cheered as he charged headlong toward their opposition. "Let's send these suckers packing!"

"Well, I like his enthusiasm." the sword-bearing man said as another Mechon jumped at him. "Let's have at them, then!"

Now with proper reinforcements and a way to fight back, Link jumped back into battle, slashing the closest Mechon apart with mighty swings of his sword. Mako stayed right behind him, saved from one of the evil machines when the flame-haired boy swung hard and knocked it away.

"Stay on your feet there!" he said in a loud yet eager voice. "Don't want you goin' down to these jokers anytime soon!"

"You got that right!" Mako cheered. "Mako at your service."

"Name's Reyn, mate. Now let's go get 'em!"

The only one clearly not amused by the heroes' revitalization was naturally Vaati, who felt at the deep gash the Monado had left on him and snarled. So maybe this hero wasn't as much of a pushover as he thought. The hero in his own time hadn't been such a thing, either. The Wind Mage cursed himself for underestimating his opponent, but nonetheless maintained a level head as he stood.

"Damn…well, even if they beat Metal Face, this'll be all the time we need." he growled, snapping his fingers and vanishing altogether from the world to mask his rage for the green-clad hero.

Speaking of Metal Face, he noticed his Mechon soldiers falling before the heroes, in particular focusing on Shulk. He eyed the Monado and snarled right as Shulk came up to him, both ready for whatever the other had in mind.

"Fancy meeting you here, Monado boy!" the metal behemoth growled. "And look at that! Ya brought Dunban along with ya!"

"And he's just as eager to blow you and your friends all to hell as I am!" Shulk shouted. "Everyone! Let's go!"

Link and Shulk lunged at Metal Face while the remaining four kept their focus on the Mechon. Mako went in knives swinging with Reyn and Dunban right behind him while Sharla stood back and fired away with her rifle. As one Mechon leapt at Mako, he kicked it toward Dunban who slashed it in half. Dunban ducked as another Mechon sailed toward him, Reyn leaping up and slamming his lance's tip straight through it. He swung his fist to knock the next one into the air where Sharla unloaded a storm of gunfire on it.

"Everybody getting his or her ass kicked, raise your hand!" Mako laughed right as he cleaved the Mechon's arms off with two well-placed slashes. "Whoops! Never mind!"

"We're really starting to look like a team, aren't we?" Sharla called with a grin.

That left Link and Shulk slashing furiously at Metal Face, who was now starting to see his chances of victory diminishing. He fired and slashed, yet the two kept on going. Shulk started to chip pieces of Metal Face's legs while Link put dents in his arms.

"You lot are really startin' to piss me off, ya know?!" Metal Face shouted.

"Comes with the territory!" Shulk shot back just as he heard a rush in the back of his head.

He turned around, and Link was surprised to see his eyes glowing a bright blue. The moment lasted only a fraction of a second, and he didn't even know what was happening until Shulk suddenly grabbed him and forced his shield to point upward, deflecting the blow from Metal Face's claws. When that was taken care of, Shulk slashed the claws and pulled both himself and Link back and out of harm's way, the later stopping to take a breath and process what had just happened.

"Nice reflexes." he said.

"A little bit more than that, actually." Shulk replied.

Link stood confused as Shulk leapt back into battle, but Fi was quick to clarify.

"Master, upon closer examination of Shulk's sword, I detected a strange energy." She suddenly said. "It is far-fetched, but based on this as well as Shulk's reflexes while holding it but I estimate a 75% chance that the Monado allows its wielder to see certain distances into the immediate future."

And that was what cemented Link's positive impression of Shulk. He didn't know who the others may have found, but anyone who could accurately predict what the opponent would do next was a necessary ally. Shulk would have already had a leg up on Majora by simply being from somewhere she had no knowledge, but the fact that he too could see through time (presumably without restrictions) meant they had not one, but two legs up on her.

Of course, Metal Face was the primary target for the time being, and he naturally wasn't happy.

"First thing I'm gonna do once I get a hold of ya is break that damn thing in two!" he shouted at Shulk as he swung at him again.

"Might get a better chance at that once I shave off your head!" Shulk roared. "Link! Let's pull together and take him down!"

Link grinned and shouted "Right behind you!" as the two of them dashed toward Metal Face at high speed. They slashed hard as the metal monster tried to push them back. They dodged his claws and beams, Shulk's visions providing them the proper cover they needed. As soon as they got close enough, Shulk gripped the Monado harder and its symbol changed once again just as Metal Face fired another laser.

"Monado…BUSTER!"

The Monado's blade lengthened and sliced right through the beam, branching it up and away and even reflecting it toward Metal Face. The Mechon commander ducked and strafed, the beams still singeing his armour as it flew overhead.

"Son of a…" he started, glaring at Shulk with pure murderous intent. "I'll skewer you, ya rotten little…"

"Don't count on it!" Dunban shouted as he leapt forward.

As Metal Face swung hard, Dunban drew his blade and swung it hard across his opponent's eyes. Metal Face screamed in agony, and as Dunban landed, he looked over his shoulder with a smile of triumph.

"The time is now, Shulk!" he called.

"Right!" Shulk said before tensing his grip on the Monado. "Link! Mako! Reyn! Let's finish him off with a Chain Attack!"

As Metal Face stumbled backward, the four warriors jumped after him, lunging forward and striking one after the other.

"Nowhere to run to this time, ya ruddy bastard!" Reyn shouted. "NOW IT'S REYN TIME!"

One mighty swing from Reyn's gunlance sent Metal Face stumbling even further backward, leaving Mako time to run behind him. With a few jumps and upward kicks, Mako was high enough to run his blades down Metal Face's back.

"See what happens when you screw around with me?!" the young Zora shouted.

At last, Link and Shulk leapt high in unison, their blades reared back and poised to strike with their opponent able to do little more than watch.

"This is for Fiora, you monster!" Shulk roared.

And thus, Link and Shulk buried their blades up to the hilt into Metal Face's chest. Every system with him started to spark, and it was only by him thrashing about in pain that he was able to get the two young warriors off of him. He was on his knees for a few moments, and letting his rage and humiliation get the better of him, he ignited the thrusters on his ankles and hovered off of the ground.

"You foul ruddy lot…I'll get you for this!" he shouted. "You're only still alive because of that damn sword!"

"Keep telling yourself that!" Sharla shouted after him. "And whoever you're working for, tell them they're next!"

Without another word, Metal Face flew away into the distance, more specifically toward the massive humanoid mountain of in the distance. Letting a creature like that leave and go to wreak havoc somewhere else seemed like a terrible idea, but Link and Mako had just barely survived their own encounter with him. Chasing him was just as bad an idea, and they could at least revel in their victory.

Not just a victory against a mighty and foreign opponent, but victory in their mission. Though all four of these warriors were incredible, Shulk was the only one they needed.

"Nice work, eh?" Reyn said to Link and Mako. "No idea where you lot came from, but hey. The enemy of our enemy is our friend, I s'pose."

"Not that we aren't grateful, though," Sharla spoke up. "But that's the thing. Where did you come from? And who was that person Metal Face was with?"

Link and Mako looked at each other and nodded. No matter how it would make them look, Shulk and his allies had the right to know everything about them. Crossing their fingers and hoping for the best, they began.

"That was Vaati." Link answered. "He's a sorcerer from our world, Hyrule."

"Hyrule?" Shulk asked.

As Link explained the situation, Shulk and his companions looked as intrigued as anyone could have expected them to be. Nevertheless, Shulk himself had his own stance on this matter and was quick to voice it as soon as Link stopped talking.

"I really wish I could help," he said. "But we've got our own mission ahead of us."

"I understand." Link said with a nod. "We have no right to pull you away from it."

Mako seemed just as disappointed as his teacher, but nonetheless nodded as well. To the trio's surprise, it was Shulk's allies that thought otherwise

"Come on, Shulk, it ain't like ya to say no to folks in need." Reyn said.

"Besides," said Dunban "At the rate we're going, it'll be a long while before we reach the Bionis' Head, anyway. We can afford a few days without you."

He looked around at them as if waiting for them to say they were joking, but they weren't. All things considered, their destination was still a long ways off, and with Metal Face having taken a significant amount of damage and not looking to be in any fighting condition for a while, it wouldn't hurt. He sighed, yet smiled.

"Nothing the Monado can't take care of, I suppose." he said, turning back to the Hyruleans and nodding. "Alright, Link. I'm with you."

A portal leading back through time appeared on cue, and Shulk followed Link and Mako through it after bidding his friends good-bye. They found themselves back in the Tower of Spirits just as the others started to make their way back as well. Link eagerly awaited to see who they had found, and upon seeing Samus, Pit, and Lucina appear from their respective gates, he wasn't disappointed. The rest of the Hyrulean Army thought the same when they looked at their four newest recruits, strange as they may have looked to them.

"Well, this is interesting…" Samus said, removing her helmet so no one would think she was some kind of metal monster. "You all still use swords and stuff, huh? Should be a walk in the park, then."

Such confidence was exactly what they were all hoping for, namely Zelda who looked more relieved than ever to see Link. As the four foreign warriors introduced themselves to the rest of the army, Link and Zelda smiled at each other and shortened their distance, satisfied just seeing that the other had come out of this farfetched mission in one piece.

"So that's your recruit?" Zelda asked as she laid eyes on Shulk.

"Yeah." Link replied. "Turns out he can see through time just like Majora. All thanks to that sword of his."

The best kind of news she could have heard, but now it was time to deliver some bad news, or at least somewhat ambiguous news. Link noticed Zelda's sudden concerned look right away, and when he questioned her about it, she sighed before answering and watching her knight friend shift through several different emotions in the span of a few moments.

"Link," she started. "Lana and I were attacked by the Fierce Deity."  
"What?!" Link half-shouted. "Did he hurt you?!"

"No, he just threatened us not to go after Majora and left. He said gathering warriors from other worlds wouldn't be nearly enough to stop her."

"Great. He's still being a stuck-up halfwit about this whole thing, then."

He wasn't wrong on that one, but the one thing that Zelda thought of was the one thing she wasn't in any hurry to tell him

"There's something else, though…and you have to really promise me you aren't going to get mad if I tell you."

"…well, that's not ominous or anything." Link said with a shrug. "Go ahead, I guess."

"I can't be sure because he didn't tell me, but the Fierce Deity…I think he might be your father."

Link let that ring in his ears for a second, and Zelda prepared for whatever he had welling up within him. She was partially relieved and yet partially disappointed when he more or less attempted to brush it off.

"Okay…second only to Cia telling me that she tried to conquer Hyrule because she was madly in love with me, that is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard in my life."

Zelda couldn't really fault him for thinking such a thing. She'd have probably said the same if someone told her that her missing father had come back looking for her. Besides, she had no definitive proof other than her gut feeling, but it was certainly a strong one.

"I'll be honest, Link." she said. "He has your eyes."

"His eyes are completely blank!"

"No, Link, you're not listening. I looked in his eyes, and I immediately thought of you. Doubt me if you want, but I'm almost sure about it."

Link had indeed tried to shrug it off, but the more Zelda went on, the more hollow he started to feel. She had no reason to lie to him about anything, especially about something like this. And as much as he hated to admit it, it would really explain a lot. It would explain why they looked so similar, why they fought almost the same way, and even why the Fierce Deity had saved them from Ganondorf.

But no. He wouldn't accept that. Not unless the Fierce Deity himself came forward and admitted it, and whether he liked it or not, they were going to take on Majora. Now that they had a sharper edge, there was no way they would defeated as easily as last time, and Mako speaking up went toward reaffirming that.

"So we got a girl with alien armour, a girl that time-traveled to save her father, an angel, and a guy who can see into the future wielding a big laser sword." the young Zora said as he looked around. "…yeah, that oughta do it."

Link agreed with Mako, but if they were anywhere near as formidable as they looked, then that would be all they would need. Their army had grown ever so slightly larger, and this time, Majora would have no idea what hit her.

"This should be enough. Let's head back to Termina and settle this once and for all."

"Not yet." Lana said. "There's one final piece we need, Link. If you want your abilities to be up to snuff with Majora's, you're going to need it."

Link knew what she was talking about the moment she started, and he smiled as he thought about it. A tool that practically defined the spirit of Hylia's chosen hero. One he'd used before to strike down evil at its very core, and one that he was very eager to use again.

A warrior needed a weapon, and there was no finer weapon for Link than the Master Sword.

* * *

_**As if adding four characters from other Nintendo games wasn't already jumping the shark.**_

_**And the news about Zelda U, or I guess Zelda NX now. I'm not really sure how to feel about it. On the one hand, we more or less have a more solid release date for it now and let's face it: most people saw it coming at this point. But on the other hand, delaying the game again and effectively sending the Wii U to an early grave is a royal neck pain. Oh well. Whatever ends up happening, at least we can be sure the game will be good. It must be if an entire E3 event is being dedicated to it.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)

_**Pit, Captain of Palutena's Guard- **_"The Return of Palutena" from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Gaol, Dark Lord of the Underworld- **_Boss theme from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Metal Face, Mechon Commander- **_"An Obstacle in Our Path" from Xenoblade Chronicles

_**Shulk, Heir to the Monado- **_"You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles

**_Warriors from worlds beyond- _**Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U


	26. The Blade of Evil's Bane

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

**The Blade of Evil's Bane**

The last thing Zelda's army wanted to see when they returned to the Tower of the Gods was the soldiers they left behind stuck in a mad skirmish with the Fierce Deity's forces. The challenge Link had issued was more a spur of the moment sort of thing, but he had nonetheless meant every word of it, and he was at least thankful they hadn't attacked while they were in more vulnerable states.

Granted, he would have much preferred it if they had just up and disappeared altogether, but if reality had other plans, he had no choice but to adapt.

"Friends of yours?" Lucina asked they watched Byrne and his three companions duel the heroes on Tetra's ship far below.

"You kiddin'?" Mako asked. "They're like the third army that's after us!"

The army wasted no time in descending the tower as fast as they could. Somehow, the sea level had lowered enough that a series of stone pathways emerged from beneath the water. Thus, Tetra's ship ahd run aground and forced the remaining units of Zelda's army to begin a full retreat toward the tower. As soon as the princess herself appeared and drew her rapier, things started to really settle in as Byrne gave her the same fiery glare he'd given her and her allies before.

"This is your last chance, princess." he said. "Stand down."

Everyone there knew Zelda's normal nature and her preference for settling conflict without violence when it was possible. Few (they could be counted on one hand) knew that when her patience was taken advantage of, she became aggressive, and she now demonstrated that to everyone when she pointed her blade at Byrne with her brow knit and her lips turned in a snarl.

"No." she growled. "You stand down. We've had enough of your nonsense."

Byrne grunted, mildly impressed that she would dare to keep this going before gesturing to Kafei. Kafei himself nodded, held his lute up, and strummed an echoing chord on it. The moment he did so, dozens upon dozens of ghostly soldiers appeared behind the four rogue warriors, each of them housing nothing but determination within them.

"Shame." Ravio said. "Because our 'nonsense' isn't even close to finished with you."

Zelda led the charge, her many allies following her soon afterward. The clashing of blades filled the air, Link and Mako being among the few that ducked underneath the blades and began hacking down the ghost soldiers. Not to put a damper on any of their allies, but Link and Mako concerned themselves with breaking Zelda and Lana through to search for some possible vantage point. Then again, all four of the Fierce Deity's lieutenants weren't exactly near-sighted.

And speaking of which, where was the Fierce Deity? If he was truly as powerful as Cia had made him out to be, why wasn't he here with his troops? He was certainly no coward from what Link understood, so why not be there and wipe the floor with everyone?

"He's not here…" Link muttered. "Looks like we've lucked out for the time being."

"But not for much longer." Lana said. "He's getting close. I can feel him."

"Damn…what do we do?"

"There's only one thing for it. You need to get the Master Sword now. If I can build up enough energy, I can send you straight to its temple."

"Okay. How do we do that?"

Lana cast a lightning bolt at Ravio to get him off Impa's back before redirecting her attention and searching for any heavy signatures of energy. As luck would have it, she received a response almost immediately. A response she recognized with the sheer amount of power housed.

"There's a Great Fairy nearby!" she concluded, focusing more and pointing toward the source. "That way!"

Further along the stone path was a hollowed-out seashell, and Link could also sense the buildup of power within it. Without a second of time wasted, they took off down the path, pumping their legs as hard and fast as they could. The mere thought of the Fierce Deity's forces chasing them was enough motivation to drive them further, though their own forces seemed to be doing a good job of holding them back.

But lo and behold. They heard fast steps behind them and a mighty leap, turning just in time to see a familiar shadow blotting out the sunlight above. Luckily, someone was already a step ahead of him/

"Your cowardice will get you nowhere!" Byrne growled.

"Look out!" Skull Kid cried.

Skull Kid pushed Lana forward fast enough to avoid Byrne's strike, but not fast enough to avoid taking the blow himself. The imp child hit the ground, Link quickly running to him and scooping him up while taking a hefty swing at Byrne. Mako rushed forward with a flurry of slashes, pushing Byrne far enough away for him to hold him back.

"Keep going!" he called. "I've got this one!"

Link, Zelda, Lana, and Skull Kid continued on, leaving Mako to duel with the clearly more experienced Byrne and praying for his safety the entire time. They dashed into the giant shell, surprised to see that it was much larger on the inside than the outside. An illusion of sorts conjured by its occupant, perhaps. The fountain itself took the appearance of several more seashells, and the heroes saw the tiny light of a fairy flitting toward the waters.

As soon as the fairy touched the ripples, it burst into a cloud of neon clouds, and from the clouds rose an almost floral-looking creature. Certainly a new look they'd seen for a Great Fairy, but very beautiful nonetheless. Her mere presence lit up the room with an otherworldly glow, the heroes feeling rejuvenated in that very moment, including Skull Kid who lightly tapped Link to let him stand up.

"Children of the goddesses," the Great Fairy said. "I welcome you. What do you ask of me?"

"Great Fairy, please heed my wish." Lana said. "In this place, I am not strong enough to open gateways through the ages on my own. My friend requires something of great importance in an age past if we are to succeed in our quest of quelling chaos at its roots."

The Great Fairy smiled, seeing the determination and yet humility in Lana's eyes. There was no way to say no to such a thing, and she was quick to issue her response.

"Bender of time itself," she said softly. "I hear your wish, and I grant you my power. Receive it now, and use it to the best of your ability."

The Great Fairy reached out her hands, beams of lights shining from her fingertips and flowing into Lana. Lana herself closed her eyes and took in several deep breathes as she felt the power fill her, almost to the point of overwhelming her. When the lights faded, she clenched her fists and let the light weave its way through her fingers. The power resonating within her, Lana bowed to the Great Fairy and vocalized her thanks as did all of her companions save for Skull Kid, who simply looked at the magnificent spirit in nervous tension. He began to follow the other three, stopping in his tracks and starting to shiver when he heard the Great Fairy call to him.

"Hold, little one."

Skull Kid looked back at the Great Fairy, who steadily floated closer to him with that same warm smile. He didn't know how to feel, not sure if she was judging him or what, but when she finally spoke, he felt renewed in a strange way.

Renewed in knowing that now was his time to fight.

"It would seem you are in need of a weapon." said the Great Fairy. "Hold out your hands."

The Great Fairy clapped her hands together and parted them, revealing a glowing flower whose petals she blew to Skull Kid. As they reached him, small beacons of pink and green light began to circle around his hands, moving slowly at first and then picking up speed until they finally formed into a solid object. A solid object that just so happened to be a magnificent sword featuring a pink and green blade with black roses etched upon it.

Skull Kid looked at the Great Fairy's Sword with absolute wonder, buckling a little bit under its weight and quickly deciphering that it was meant to be wielded with both hands. Placing both of his hands on the sword, he swung it once. Then again. Progressively stronger each time before he started letting out hefty battle cries with each swing. After one final slash, he sheathed it and looked up at the Great Fairy, giving her a short bow.

"Thank you." he said.

"My pleasure." she replied. "Go now. Your friends need you."

And thus, Skull Kid ran out after Link, Zelda, and Lana. In the span of a few moments, his path was blocked by the still vengeful Kafei.

"You aren't going anywhere." the navy-haired youth growled, his knife at the ready.

Skull Kid knit his brow. He didn't want to turn his new weapon on anyone, let alone someone in clear grieving, but this was the breaking point. He was sick of people pointing fingers at him. He was sick of people making him feel like he was the reason this was all happening, and he wasn't going to take the fall for it. Not anymore. He drew his blade and held it firm.

"You don't know what really happened." he said. "And you don't know me."

The other three warriors kept on going, quickly rendezvousing with Mako who had just managed to fend off Byrne with only a few scrapes on him. They looked over at their forces still fighting the ghost soldiers, happy to see that the four foreign warriors were just as formidable as the Hyrulean forces if not more so. No range was too much for Samus, firing her power shots and missiles wherever she could and sending her targets flying. Lucina's slashes were so quick that they were near impossible to see, and her speed in closing the distance between herself and her opponents was just as impressive. Pit stayed airborne, firing arrow and swooping down whenever he could to keep the ghost soldiers of his allies' backs. And with the Monado alerting him whenever someone was about to be attacked, Shulk literally defended and attacked in the nick of time, letting no strike get too close or go unpunished.

"Give Cia my regards." Zelda said with a smile. "Her idea actually came through for us."

Link smiled, keeping his hand on his heart and almost feeling Cia take hold of him. He praised her, and heard her praising him back, even thanking him for trusting her when her own lighter half wouldn't.

There wasn't much time for praising, though, as Ravio suddenly took notice of them and directed more of the ghost soldiers toward them. Wasting no time in testing her new powers, Lana clapped her hands together, sucked in a breath, and cast the energy forward. A golden gateway appeared before them, and this time there was no fog hindering their sight.

"Okay, Link!" Lana called as she, Zelda, and Mako headed off to engage the incoming ghost soldiers. "That portal will take you straight to the Master Sword's temple back in our time! Hurry!"

Link nodded, pulling the Goddess Sword from its sheath and tossing it forward.

"Go help out the others." he said as Fi switched forms. "I won't be long."

"Understood." Fi said. "I wish you luck, Master."

Fi took off toward the rest of their allies while Link turned and sprinted headlong through the portal, landing feet first in the familiar hallway of the Master Sword's temple and taking off without a second wasted. Once the Fierce Deity's forces knew he was going for the Master Sword, they'd be after him without a second thought, and that only pushed him to run even faster down the hall and up the stairs with his heart still pounding.

He rounded the corner and made for the nearby opening, revealing a lush grove with a stone platform situated in the center. Upon that platform was a pedestal, and within that pedestal was his goal. Its hilt a deep blue with a glowing golden gem fixated in the center, its blade shining like the finest silver, and the power emanating from it so great that he felt it fill him as he approached it.

The Master Sword. The weapon that cleaved through darkness without any resistance.

He stepped onto the platform and approached the pedestal, smiling at the mighty sword in awe and slight nostalgia. He remembered the last time he had used, at first feeling too confident for his own good. When he truly mastered it, however, it truly was the ultimate weapon, and now here it was at his beck and call once again.

"Welcome back, old friend."

He took the sacred blade's hilt in both hands, and with a mighty heave, he pulled it clean from its pedestal. As it held it up high, it glowed with a golden light, and he felt its power fill his spirit with hope and determination. One swing. Two swings. Feeling the sword's power each time.

He was ready, and what a time for him to hear footsteps and turn to see the Fierce Deity standing there. Suddenly the worries about whether or not this person was his father hit Link like a horse-drawn cart, and he wavered for a moment. But no. He wouldn't be intimidated. Not by him or anyone.

"So you are indeed the reincarnation of Hylia's chosen hero." the Fierce Deity said.

Link gritted his teeth and stood with the mighty blade at the ready. He would show this so-called god that he wasn't to be trifled with. He would prove to him that he was just as capable a warrior.

He would prove he was ready to face Majora.

"I am." he shot back. "I don't know who you think you are to get in our way when we're clearly all on the same side here, but if you think my allies and I are just going to back down because of a threat from some god no one remembers, you've got another thing coming."

"Despite my warning? Remember how I told you to choose your battles wisely?"

"I don't choose these battles anymore. They choose me."

The Fierce Deity smirked. How he wished Link was truly ready for the task at hand. Nothing would warm his heart more than to see him triumph over the dark goddess. For a mortal, this kind of tenacity was truly a sight to behold.

"You're brave, Link. I like that, but wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane isn't nearly enough to stop Majora."

"And what is in your mind? Omnipotence?"

"No, but if I told you what it was, you would call me a liar."

"Gee, I wonder who's fault that is."

"Well, I haven't been exactly forthcoming with you, I'll admit. But the truth is painful, and it's a pain I wish to spare you from."

That was all it took to make Link angry, but he stood his ground for the time being. He knew the consequences of recklessness even with the Master Sword in hand, and he wouldn't let the Fierce Deity provoke him like this. He didn't care what that pain was, and he didn't care why the Fierce Deity would want to spare him from it. The Fierce Deity noticed Link tense his grip on his sword, and for one reason or another, he became irritated.

"Don't think for a minute that this has anything to do with strength." the fallen god said.

"Then don't think I'm going to step out of the way just because you told me to." Link spat.

"Link, this is your last chance…"

"No, 'God of Order'! It's yours!"

The Fierce Deity took a step backward, hardly believing that he was being intimidated like this and finding it even harder to believe how much of a presence Link commanded for a mere mortal. Overwhelming that, however, was a feeling of disappointment. He didn't want it to come to blows. Not with any single unit of Zelda's forces and certainly not Link, but this wasn't a matter where negotiation was possible.

"Then I suppose this fight was inevitable." he sighed, though he regained his composure and drew his massive blade a moment later. "Very well. Come, Link! Show me you are worthy of that sword and the faith of the heavens!"

Link made the first move, charging forward with a jumping slash and a loud battle cry. The Fierce Deity blocked the blow, feeling his bones shake with the strike. He let the blow carry him backward, and in the next moment, the two had been whisked back out of the gate and at the top of the Tower of the Gods. They stepped over the edge, yet maintained their fast and frantic footing as they descended down the wall, slashing hard at each other and yet never managing to push the other away. Their blades sent out sparks of differing colors as they struck one another, and one could almost mistake it for a brilliant fireworks show were it not for the two hardened warriors seemingly trying to lop each other's heads off.

Link himself was surprised that he was now holding his own against the Fierce Deity despite technically being no more experienced nor any more powerful than he had been the first time they met. Now he was leaping vast distances single-handedly, clashing with a god while airborne and landing on his feet upon the stone path. Was the Fierce Deity holding back on him, further cementing Zelda's theory? Was Cia somehow powering Link from within?

No. Now he knew exactly what was going on. He knew what he was up against, and he was holding his own not because he was any stronger, but because he believed. Now more than ever, he believed that he could defeat him. He believed he could defeat Majora.

He believed he would defeat Majora.

The Fierce Deity crashed down sword-first, setting forth a massive tremor that stirred up the waves around the path. Link swung again, this time grasping the Master Sword with both hands as he did so. The Fierce Deity blocked and pushed back, holding his sword skyward as he did so and summoning down a bolt of lightning.

"Well, that's new." Link thought in a panic.

The Fierce Deity slammed his sword against the grounds, sending the arcing electricity shooting out in every possible direction. Lifting the Mirror Shield, Link deflected most of the bolts, catching the last one and sending it back with a quick spin attack. Caught between blade tips, the arcing bolt tied the two warriors together and left them struggling to free themselves. The bolt made the decision for them, bursting into thin air and sending them both shooting backward before they lunged at each other again.

The waves peaked again as a shockwave burst from the impact, threatening to drown Link and the Fierce Deity as they crashed in again until the latter raised his hand. From it came a burst of cold air that froze the surrounding water, the Fierce Deity splintering off one massive icicle and swinging it at Link's legs. Link jumped and slashed it apart, then loaded his bow with a bomb arrow as he took another flying leap at his opponent. To his dismay, the Fierce Deity seized the arrow in mid-fire and threw it upward where it exploded and shattered what remained of the ice, sending it raining down on the two fighters as they started to trade swings yet again.

"I take back what I said about you choosing your battles carefully." the Fierce Deity said as they locked their blades and got a moment to rest. "You've improved. Too much for me to say."

"And still you're in the way." Link growled back, losing his tension and giving his opponent time to push him back.

Link let the momentum carry him into a flip over the Fierce Deity's next swing, even going so far as to land on the blade and hop over the fallen god's head. Even the Fierce Deity was surprised when the Master Sword nicked his cheek and left the tiniest cut in its wake. He smiled as he turned toward his mortal opponent.

"That's what I like to see." he said. "You aren't holding back."

"But you are." Link said. "Why?"

The smile was gone, and the Fierce Deity swung again. He was hiding something. Perhaps the one thing Link didn't want to hear as he deflected the blow and stabbed forward. Fine by him. If the Fierce Deity was going to let some kind of conflict of interest get between him fighting his hardest, Link was going to take advantage of that. The Fierce Deity took a heavy swing at his head, getting Link's shield slammed against his chin in retaliation. His fist reflexively made contact with Link's chest, sending the young hero sprawling backward. He raised his shield in time to block the Fierce Deity's next swing, pushing it back and rolling to his feet.

"Son of a…even if he's going easy on me, he's got some diamond-like defense." Link growled. "Gotta find a chink in his armour…"

He stayed on the evasive side to try and find any weak point, but the Fierce Deity stayed one step ahead of him and slammed the tip of his sword into the ground. Both warriors were caught on the dozen splintered pieces of stone that went shooting upward. Link vaulted higher while the Fierce Deity leapt down to meet him. They clashed in mid-air, the tension reaching its limit as the two angrily roared at each other.

It was one thing to be one of the two warriors doing this absurd level of duelling, but watching it from below was truly a spectacle. Zelda and her forces kept their fingers crossed and their lips bitten in the hopes that Link would finally be able to get this third force out of their way once and for all, while the Fierce Deity's forces remained as impressed as ever with both their leader's strength and the tenacity of his opponent.

"Unbelievable." Impa said. "He's actually doing it. Even without the Triforce of Courage."

"Wish people placed as much faith in our own version of him." Midna said with a smirk. "Might have had an easier time with Zant and all them."

Byrne smirked and looked over at Zelda, who kept right on glaring at him.

"Looks like your hero has some commendable spirit after all." he said.

"More than you know," Zelda replied. "And more than you'll admit by the looks of it."

"We'll see how far that gets him."

It seemed he spoke too soon. As Link and the Fierce Deity continued to slash at each other during their descent, the latter left his right side too far open and the former took advantage of it. The Fierce Deity grunted as he took the blow, but didn't flinch, holding his defenses up until Link snared him upon the Hookshot. As the distance between them closed, the Fierce Deity seized Link by the neck in a vain attempt to hold him back. At last seeing no other choice, Link placed his feet firmly against the Fierce Deity's chest and braced himself.

The two struck the ground hard, shaking it and stirring up the waves yet again. The Fierce Deity kicked Link off of him and was very nearly to his feet with Link reared back his fist and punched him as hard as he could in the face. The Fierce Deity went down, and the onlookers watched in shock as Link let out a mighty cry and leaped forward for a finishing blow.

Yet there was no need for concern. The Fierce Deity didn't flinch, for he knew Link wouldn't dare to do such a thing, and he was right. Link held the tip of his blade a mere half-inch from the Fierce Deity's eye, all aggression steadily easing as the two got the chance to breathe. They looked into each other's eyes, mentally stating to each other that the fight was over before Link stood, sheathed his blade, and held out his hand to help his opponent up. The Fierce Deity took his hand immediately and let himself be heaved to his feet, growing a smile as he proudly looked down at Link.

"I'm impressed." he said.

"Good." said Link. "Now get out of our way unless you plan on fighting alongside us."

The Fierce Deity looked at his four lieutenants, all of whom seemed about ready to retreat. Not that they hadn't put up a good fight, but with Zelda's superior numbers, it was a wonder they had lasted for as long as they had.

"It would seem I don't have a choice in the matter." the Fierce Deity said. "Very well. If you're certain you're ready for whatever lies ahead, we won't impede you any further."

"Hold on. You're not telling me something. Why are you trying to stop us when we're all fighting for the same cause?"

The Fierce Deity's smile was gone, a look of concern and even sadness in its place. Link stood waiting to hear the answer (or rather excuse), and to his dread, he received a very sentimental one.

"…it's because I'm afraid for you." the Fierce Deity said. "Majora can wreak havoc anywhere she likes, but you and Princess Zelda are of too much importance to both meet your end at her hands."

"People always say that to me once they find out who I am." Link replied. "But you of all people should know that when one hero falls, another takes his place. Why are you really afraid?"

To Link's irritation, the Fierce Deity didn't answer the question. Not in the way he wanted, but he could tell he was at least trying to help. Granted, Link didn't exactly know how further distressing him was supposed to help when the Fierce Deity told him the last thing he wanted to hear.

"All I'll say about your limitations is this. You aren't the only one with a backup plan. Whether you believe me or not, there is a traitor in your midst."

Link felt something tug at his heartstrings right as his mind went blank. He couldn't be talking about Cia, could he? She was certainly no stranger to treachery, but to think she'd want to help someone as mad as Majora…it was purely unthinkable. Yet the Fierce Deity was not the lying type. He'd have nothing to gain from it.

"Is that all?" the Fierce Deity asked.

Not nearly. If there was ever a time to have this question answered, it was now.

"One last thing…are you who I think you are?"

"That depends. Who do you think I am?"

Link remained silent. So now the Fierce Deity was toying with him? As angry as that made Link, he couldn't bring himself to take another swing nor speak another word. Not with that single farfetched possibility still looming and further intensified when the Fierce Deity placed his hand on Link's shoulder. The concern reached a peak, and now Link was dead certain. Resembling him in more ways than one, holding back on him, showing concern for him, trying to stop him from delving into what could possibly be certain doom.

At least for now, it looked like Zelda was right.

"Whatever happens…don't die." the Fierce Deity said. "And don't lose faith in yourself."

And the Fierce Deity vanished, as did his four lieutenants and what remained of the ghost soldiers, and his place clattered the last piece of Cia's story. A mask bearing his face. Link slowly bent down and picked it up, brushing off the flecks of water that caked its edges. All he could do was stare at it. What was he supposed to do with it, and why had the Fierce Deity given it to him? He could feel the power emanating from it, and though he felt the urge to don it, he couldn't stop thinking of how its model had more or less scorned him.

"Link?" Mako started as he and the rest of the heroes approached Link. "You okay?"

Link shook off the deep thoughts and handed Mako the mask, by now sick of looking at it.

"Here. Another one for your collection, I guess." he sighed. "Is anyone hurt?"

"It wouldn't seem so." Impa replied. "So have we at least permanently dealt with that idiot now?"

"Yeah…yeah, I think so."

Shoving his bittersweet thoughts to one side, Link regained focus and looked around at the newly rejuvenated army. Though only a set number of them knew what was waiting for them back in Termina, they all seemed just as ready as they could be. After seeing one of their comrades take on a god and win, there was no reason to doubt their steadily growing confidence and even chance of victory.

And with that, Zelda began.

"This is absolute hell we're going to be charging into, everyone." she started, looking out over them and raising her voice in a grand manner. "Majora's been planning for us to return and try to face her again, no doubt. If we don't come up with a plan now and stick to it, we're as good as dead. Samus, Lucina, Pit, Shulk. Now it's time for us to show you exactly why we need you."

Pit pumped his fists in excitement.

"Sounds good to me!" he said. "Whoever this Majora woman is, she's as good as done in!"

"I'd normally be demanding a good pay for this," said Samus. "But keeping some psycho from torching an entire universe is probably the ultimate charity work. I'm in."

The army raised their weapons, swearing their fealty to this cause no matter what would come their way. Yet Link was now more concerned than ever. Not because Majora could have grown exponentially in power since they last met, not because Ganondorf was still lurking around somewhere, and not even because there was the mere possibility of Cia betraying them. It was because he found his father, and the reunion couldn't have been anymore scalding.

But as they began to develop their battle strategy, it was time to set those fears to one side. Fear was not an option. Nor hesitation. Nor failure.

The real war was about to begin.

* * *

_**We're closing in on the third act and the grand and bloody reunion is just a chapter away. But we may have a little heartbreak to tend to before the whole thing is over. Tune in next update, and see how the shit's going to hit the fan all over again.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)

_**Pit, Captain of Palutena's Guard- **_"The Return of Palutena" from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Gaol, Dark Lord of the Underworld- **_Boss theme from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Metal Face, Mechon Commander- **_"An Obstacle in Our Path" from Xenoblade Chronicles

_**Shulk, Heir to the Monado- **_"You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles

**_Warriors from worlds beyond- _**Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army: Round 2 - **_"Silent Guardians" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus the Fierce Deity - **_"The Crest of Thirst" from Dynasty Warriors 6


	27. Onslaught in the Ruins of Termina

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

**Onslaught in the Ruins of Termina**

The army had expected complete devastation when they returned to Termina, but what they saw was somehow beyond that. The paths before them were splintered pieces of the ground floating above a swirling black abyss. Lighting cracked between the clouds above, blotting out any sunlight that may have remained. And to make a mockery of the heroes' failure to stop Majora the first time (or perhaps just for sadistic pleasure), thousands upon thousands of coffins now floated around the sky.

Was this to be the fate of every world if Majora wasn't stopped? In that case, it was time to kick things into high gear and keep them there. Link drew the Master Sword and held it high, its blade glowing with a golden light and piercing the violet haze before them and showing the cracked path.

"Everyone stay close!" Zelda called. "First squad, take the west! Second squad, follow Link! Third squad, flank from behind and wait for our signal!"

The groups split, Impa leading her squad west while Zelda's squad followed Link and the otherworld warriors made their way to where they would be called in. Not long after setting off, Impa faced her first obstacle, and he was just as ecstatic to see her as she was to see him.

Which is to say they were ready to tear each other's heads off.

"Quite a face you have under there." Impa said, getting a good look at the black and scaly hide behind the chipped helmet.

"You know for a moment I thought you'd all be smart enough not to come back." Onox growled. "But I suppose that would be placing far too much faith in you."

Impa sighed and drew her weapon along with the rest of her squad, already noticing the army of Stalfos and Darknuts materializing behind Onox. She slid forward as Onox began swinging his ball and chain, keeping him occupied while the rest of her squad took care of the stragglers.

"Hope the others are having better luck than I am…" the Sheikah grumbled.

In a manner of speaking, yes. Link's squad continued to follow him as he led the way with the Master Sword, working their way toward what remained of the clock tower in the center of the wasteland, for the moment just a foreboding silhouette in the distance. The golden light shining at the top was all they needed to make the obvious conclusion.

Majora was there, and she was waiting for them.

And of course, so was one of her more clueless generals, materializing from the ground and cackling like the wretched little animal he was.

"So you've come back! How delightful!"

"Oh, it's just you." Midna chuckled. "I was actually worried there for a second."

That tiny crack was in the Twilight Princess's mind worth it just to see Wizzro start getting flustered.

"H-how dare you, you rotten little beast!" he shouted.

"SHE'S a rotten little beast?!" Mako laughed. "You're a cloak with Wallmasters for arms, genius! You're as ugly as they come!"

Another shadow materialized, and from that shadow stepped the alluring and sadly familiar figure of Veran, still smiling as if getting beaten across the Tower of the Gods hadn't at all hurt her swelling pride.

"A light shining in the darkness. Is that what you all hoped to be?" she asked. "How long would you wager until we extinguish that light forever?"

"Sorry, chumps!" Groose shouted, holding his cannon at the ready. "There's no version of this where you come out on top! Rain or shine, you're goin' down!"

Veran and Wizzro isolated Link and Zelda respectively while monsters emerged to duel the other heroes. Just like Cia had forewarned, it seemed the two evildoers were able to block and counterattack just about every offensive maneuver they made. Even moves that should have otherwise been too fast to dodge were nothing to them, deflecting or otherwise avoiding them with hysterical ease.

"You didn't honestly think that dinky little thing would help you, did you?" Veran laughed as Link just barely missed her. "It may have been Ganondorf's undoing, but I'm sure you've realized we're more than he'll ever be."

"Oh, yeah?" Lana shouted. "Then how come he still has the Triforce of Power? Is your boss taking a nap or something? I wouldn't put it past her."

"No, she's well prepared. See for yourself."

They saw Majora's glowing eyes from her perch atop the clock tower, and the ground ruptured beneath their feet, forcing them to jump backward to keep from falling into the abyss below. The dark goddess's laughter became their driving force, angered just enough to want to reach the source and silence it. Of course, her vile henchfolk wouldn't have that, and plowing through them seemed almost impossible. Even when Link managed to run the Master Sword along Veran's chest and leave a bloody scratch in its wake, she still managed to interrupt the swing and push him backward.

"Is that your best?" she asked. "Come now, dear hero. Don't make me beg."

"Oh, I'll make you beg alright…" Link growled.

"Come on, then. Show me…oh, for goodness sake, Wizzro! How pathetic are you?!"

What a time for Wizzro to be impaled through the shoulder by Zelda's Light Arrow and sent hurtling away. Sneering, Veran snapped her fingers, two Dark Links materializing from the ground and lunging for the heroes. Mako and Lana disposed of them relatively quickly, the former thankful they weren't nearly as powerful as the one they encountered in the Tower of the Gods but realizing it didn't make a difference when an army of Aeralfos came barreling in. He was just grateful Colin and Agitha had been there to repulse the first few, or else he would likely have been their new favourite skewer.

"Looks like they're trying to sandwich us!" Colin called. "We gotta take those guys out before they can get the upper hand!"

"My sentiments exactly." panted Zelda. "Agitha! Midna! Aryll! The skies are yours!"

The three warriors took off at Zelda's suggestion, Volga landing in dragon form close by and looking over at Colin.

"How about it, lad?" he said to the Ordon child. "Shall we show them our wrath?"

Colin smiled and nodded before leaping onto the dragon's back, taking to the sky with his father watching him in a mix of pride and worry.

"He'll be alright." Zelda promised. "He's a strong boy."

"Oh, I know." Rusl replied. "I'm just surprised how much he's grown over the past little while. He'd never think of doing something like that a year or so ago."

Bravery wasn't enough for the rest of them to push through, however. Though the Aeralfos were now preoccupied, that didn't change the fact that Veran and Wizzro were still holding them back. Link and Zelda slashed away at the two villains as quickly and as hard as they could, yet the two parried their blades every single time even if the Master Sword singed them every time they did so.

"I'm honestly disappointed." Wizzro said with a vile grin. "You took me down so easily the last time you had that. What's the excuse now?"

"Get over yourself." Zelda seethed. "You'd be dead twice over if Veran wasn't here."

Wizzro growled, further angered when Veran shrugged.

"Well, she's not wrong on that one." the sorceress said. "Not that I mind cleaning up your messes if they're involved."

By now, the entire fight was dragging on and wearing thin on all of them. They barely had enough stamina to block their opponents' attacks at this point. Even Mako, who was normally filled to the bursting point with manic energy, was starting to get tired when he took a few swings at Veran and ended up cast on the ground with her leering over him.

Luckily, he remembered that he and his friends still had one leg up on them, and judging from the sight out of the corner of his eye, it was time for the trump card to be played.

"You really haven't learned a thing, have you?" Veran scoffed.

"Alright, I've run outta patience." Mako sighed before cupping his hands over his mouth. "Sama...Suma…whatever your name is! NAIL THIS BITCH!"

Veran's concentration was thrown for the ultimate loop when a red-and-orange blur came shooting in out of nowhere and slammed against her. She felt as if every bone in her body had splintered when she hit the ground and went rolling, and she looked up in time to see Samus walking past her.

"What?" Samus asked, her helmet disappearing so Veran could see her smirking face underneath. "You didn't see that coming?"

"What's going on…" Veran sputtered. "W-who are you?!"

"I promised myself I'd never say this again, but lady? I'm your worst nightmare."

The monsters looked around at each other in just as much surprise as their commander, and Samus wasted no time in gunning them all down whether through shots and missiles from her arm cannon or simply grappling them and slamming them into the ground. AS some of the Aeralfos managed to break away from Volga and the group he led, they dove toward Link's group in a vain attempt to stop Samus's rampage. All that happened in that instance was their second surprise of the battle as arrows rained down upon them and Pit came streaking by.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" he cheered.

On the other end of the battlefield, Impa and her forces tried their absolute best to push Onox back, having to dive out of the way every single time he swung his mighty weapon. Even when the metal sphere made contact with nothing but thin air, it felt like the air itself was breaking apart. How fortunate Lucina put herself between Onox and Nabooru when the armoured beast took a swing at her. Her blade glowed a distinct gold, and she rushed forward and swung at just the right time to send the iron ball flying back toward its wielder.

"What in the world…" Onox sputtered before knitting his brow yet again. "It matters not who you are. You'll merely be another bloodstain on my armour once I'm done with you."

"I wouldn't count on that." the azure-haired princess sneered.

The Ylissean princess dodged swing after swing, and when it looked like one of the blows would have connected, that was when Shulk slipped in. One of his visions had kicked in just in time to stop the ball and send it crashing down, and the moment Shulk saw a feasible weak spot, he went for it.

"SLIT EDGE!" he called, stabbing the Monado forward and causing its blade to enhance the moment before it struck Onox.

The armoured titan roared in pain and went stumbling backward, letting Impa and the rest of her squad finally push forward. While the otherworld warriors had provided the heroes the push they sorely needed, Link kept his eyes on Majora. He heard her gloating to herself, thinking she'd already won, and the longer he went without ramming his sword through her heart, the angrier he felt.

He and everyone else would sleep better once that beast was dead and gone forever.

"We need to wrap this up before Majora decides to drop another giant rock!" he growled.

Lana agreed, and now with enough energy, she could call up Link's most vital ally. She generated a portal and cast it forward before bringing her finger and thumb to her lips. From her mouth sprang a familiar song, and from the other side of the portal came a familiar call. Then, someone Link was very happy to see came galloping through.

"Epona!" he beamed.

"Figured she could help us plow through them a little quicker." said Lana with a smile. "We'll hold them off here! You push through and get to Majora! We'll try to join you as soon as we can!"

Link nodded, unwilling to leave his allies to fend against Majora's forces, but locking eyes with Zelda and seeing her smile and nod at him was all that he needed. He patted his faithful steed's back, and with a snap of the reins, the two of them were off. He held the Master Sword high, letting the light pierce the fog and letting the blade decimate the monsters as he swung it. Epona made a mighty leap over the abyss below, and now they were ascending the tower.

Link held his mighty weapon at the ready and held everyone's hopes in his heart. Higher and higher Epona ran up the tower, Link only clutching to her back and yet feeling every gallop and breathing through his nostrils like a bull. He rejected any thoughts that what he had wouldn't be enough. Majora may have been mighty, but she was flawed, and Link would finally prove that not just to her, but to everyone.

On this day, he would show Majora the truly power of a Hyrulean warrior.

As they reached the top, Link leapt from Epona's back and slid to a halt with his sword and shield at the ready, and once he saw the dark goddess overlooking the carnage, he shouted her name.

"Majora!"

At the call, Majora turned, her head cocked to one side and a disturbing smile fixed on her face. Link himself wasn't phased by it, but were he anyone else, that face would have been enough to spark just the slightest bit of unease.

"You made it." the dark goddess said almost playfully. "Yay."

Without a word, Link drew the Master Sword and sank into a ready stance. Majora, meanwhile, simply stood there staring at him like a cat would stare at a mouse.

"What? No big 'I will slay you' speech trying to intimidate me?" she mocked, twisting her neck so quickly that it cracked.

"I have nothing to say to you." Link retorted. "I have nothing to say to anyone who would bring such shame and bear such hate to the goddesses."

Mentioning the goddesses seemed to be exactly the kind of trigger Majora was waiting for, snarling like a rabid beast and shaking as if she was having a seizure.

"Hate…" Majora hissed, her tentacles stretching from her palms as her whole body started to twitch. "Let me tell you how much I've come to hate your precious goddesses since I began to live…actually, you know what?! Screw it! You're all going to be dead in a few minutes anyway, so who the bloody hell cares why I hate the goddesses so much?!"

"Fine by me!" Link said sternly, readying his blade for what he was sure would be the final battle. "Let's go!"

Majora made the first move, aiming to throw her tendrils around Link's ankles. He vaulted backward, slashing a sword beam at her neck that she effortlessly deflected. She slung a tendril around his neck, and he pulled her forward. He hadn't counted on her throwing her other tendril around his opposite arm, however, and just like that, he was flat on his back.

"Oh, for the love of…" he groaned.

"Hey, what did you expect?" Majora smirked as she ripped up a spiralling piece of the ground. "You're the one who came back to get raked across the coals again."

Link leapt off of the flying chunks of Earth, Majora flying up after him and tangling him in her tendrils yet again. This time, she threw him to the ground without a second thought. Even when Link fired his Hookshot up after her, she only seized it and lassoed him about before slamming him so hard against the ground he could swear every bone in his back had at least cracked if not outright broken. He rolled away fast enough that Majora's fist simply broke through the floor, though the electric shockwave that resulted wasn't exactly the result Link had hoped for.

He got up and held up the Mirror Shield just as Majora fired a mighty beam the size of her opponent's entire body. She deflected it as it came back, the light blinding her long enough for Link to rush forward and very nearly manage a strike. However, Majora snatched the blade between her thumb and forefinger, leaving Link to stare at her in disbelief as a terrible grin snaked across her face.

"You dun goofed."

The kick nearly sent Link flying over the edge of the tower, but he was more concerned with in perhaps causing internal bleeding. When he slid to a stop, he lay in a fetal position gasping for air as the blow to his stomach lingered for a moment or two. It hadn't surprised him at all when he coughed up blood a second later, and he feared just how badly this was going to go. If a simple kick was all it had taken to do some intense damage to him, then he was in for one hell of a ride.

"That's the face of someone who's losing hope." Majora said as she wrenched him up off the ground again. "Mmm, you've got no idea how much I love seeing it."

Link growled, opening his mouth and clamping his teeth down on the tendril, wriggling out of Majora's grip and mentally preparing himself before he dashed for her yet again. Back down below, the rest of the heroes cut down horde after horde of monsters, Majora's lieutenants barely able to keep up anymore with the otherworldly warriors and preparing to make a full retreat. In fact, Wizzro had already fled the battle entirely once Mako had slashed him so hard he'd nearly been split in half. The monsters continued to drop in, though, and even the more energetic heroes were starting to feel the last of their strength fading away.

"Where's Link?!" Mako hollered.

"He's brought the fight to Majora!" Darunia shouted back, swinging his hammer and crushing another Stalfos underneath.

"By himself?! Is he insane?!"

"Probably, but we'll just have to rely on him for now, brother! There's nothing more we can do for him!"

Mako looked at the top of the tower, hearing Link's pained screams long before he saw Majora throw him across the roof yet again. The young Zora gritted his teeth as he watched this carnage, swearing he could see and even hear Majora's tendrils grow spikes and cut into Link, dragging trails of blood as they went. He felt angrier than he'd ever been, but in that moment, he felt a strange aura in his satchel. Reaching into it and pulling out the source led him to discover that it was the Fierce Deity's mask, now glowing slightly the closer he held it up.

Why did the mask and by extension its model look so much like Link, he wondered. It hardly mattered, for he knew what he had to do. He made a mad dash for the tower, praying he'd simply make it there in time. He heard Link cry out again as he blocked another hefty blow only to get tossed yet again, and Mako saw him go over the edge, holding on for dear life as Majora menacingly began to approach him and cast him to his doom.

Mako only had one shot at this, and he took it.

"Link!" he shouted, catching Link's attention as he threw the mask as hard as he could. "CATCH!"

Link held out his hand just in time to catch the mask, and the moment he did so, he felt a strange surge of energy from within it. A kind of synchronization, and with it came the urge to put it on.

A mask imbued with the Fierce Deity's power…an interesting prospect if there ever was one, and at this point, he was willing to try just about anything.

"Well, here goes everything."

As soon as the mask made contact with his face, it latched on and wouldn't let go as if it had suddenly become sentient. Though the sensation was enough to make him cry out in pain as the mask and his face started to seemingly merge together and he felt his body change in ways he'd never imagined, the determination to defeat Majora remained prevalent, and the results were undeniable. Even the heroes on the ground could only watch in amazement at what was becoming of him.

He was becoming more powerful than Majora could possibly imagine.

"What, are you already giving up?" Majora roared. "I was just starting to have fun!"

That fun quickly diminished when Link finally emerged, launching himself high into the air as her tendril came down. As he landed right behind her, she first felt a strong surge in his aura, and when she turned to see that he had taken a new and vibrant form, she stood there stunned and borderline frightened. His green tunic had turned white as snow, a silver cuirass strapped to his chest. The Master Sword and Mirror Shield had grown to properly fit this new form of his, with him having gained at least a foot in height. His hair had become as white as his tunic, his eyes now blank and marking snaking along the sides of his face.

"What…what is this?!" Majora stammered the longer she looked at what her opponent had become.

"Shut up." Link responded, his voice booming and sounding much like the mighty god this new form was based on.

Majora looked at Link in the form of the Fierce Deity and got angrier with every millisecond that passed. This was the only thing that had concerned her about the Hylian warrior, and now that her fear was confirmed, she felt dirty. Tricked, even, and unlike most tricksters one could imagine who would give their opponent a respectful tip of the hat, Majora wasn't one to play to get even. Even Link knew that.

"I knew it…" the dark goddess hissed. "Damn you, I knew it!"

"SHUT UP!" Link bellowed before he lunged yet again.

The chaos surging about was enough to mask the new power having entered the area. Ganondorf's forces had the full intention of raiding the place and stealing the remaining two Triforce pieces for themselves, but the evil king himself held up his hand to stop them. Instead, he watched the duel atop the clock tower, stroking his chin in minor curiosity.

"Do we attack, my lord?" Twinrova asked.

"No, not yet." Ganondorf replied, planting his swords in the ground and watching the spectacle with crossed arms and a sly grin. "This should be entertaining."

And indeed it was, Link and Majora launching out shockwave after shockwave as they swung at each other. Though Majora continued to stand firm, even she in all her vanity couldn't deny that her defenses were steadily being chipped down. Her knees buckled as Link brought the Master Sword down hard, an letting her frustration get the better of her, she vaulted herself into the air and left an explosion of dark energy in her wake. From the explosion sprang dark tendrils, all of which wrapped around Link yet were severed with a quick spin attack.

"Coward!" Link hollered as he leapt up after her.

With a single bound, Link surged up after her. They traded blow after blow, sending bursts of color and sound throughout the air no matter where the attacks struck or how they were blocked. The heroes all watched the spectacle, amazed at how powerful the Fierce Deity's mask had made Link and how he was now standing toe to toe with someone they feared had been invincible.

But Link wasn't concerned with any of that. All he cared about was running this monster through once and for all. In fact, it seemed to be all a certain witch dwelling with him cared about, as well. Or perhaps she was just ecstatic to see his primal instincts starting to take over.

"That's it, Link!" Cia gleefully cried. "Split her wide open!"

Though he wasn't one to go along with what a darker power asked, nothing would please him more at this point. Reflecting Majora's bolts of darkness back at her as he surged toward her, Link slashed her across the chest with the Master Sword. She screamed all the way back down, the roof practically breaking upon her impact. Link landed right before, rearing the Master Sword back and stabbing down as hard as he could, though Majora was fast enough with a barrier in her hands to block it.

"You though we weren't a threat to you…" Link hissed. "Big mistake…or are you still denying that?"

"You were all made to be ruled." Majora growled. "All of you are completely worthless…and all you do is destroy for the sake of it! Why is it so hard for you to accept that?!"

"Don't even try that garbage with me!"

Link broke through the barrier, though Majora still had enough time to sweep his legs and bowl him over. Now she had him in the same position, her tendrils trying to snake around his neck with Link starting to wonder if strangling was her favourite method of torture or if she found it overtly sensual.

"You want to talk about garbage?" the dark goddess said, a sickeningly sly grin starting to grow on her lips. "How's placing your faith in the Fierce Deity working out for you so far?"

"This is between you and me. What do you care about him?"

"I've hurt him in ways you wouldn't believe. Him and you."

He didn't even want to think about what that implied, but he managed to wrestle himself free from her grasp and get to his feet, slamming the Mirror Shield against her face and then grabbing her by the neck before throwing her away like garbage. By now, his anger had fully consumed him, and Cia kept on whispering in his ears. Pressing Link to keep on wearing Majora down, encouraging her to split her skull. He was nonetheless eager to do exactly that. Majora propelled herself skyward, raising both her hands and shrieking like a banshee as a massive sphere of dark energy conjured in her hands.

"DIE, DAMN YOU!" she screamed as she cast the sphere.

Link sneered, rearing back the Master Sword and stabbing it skyward. As the blade made contact with the sphere, all of the energy was absorbed into it. He then launched up after her, grappling her and seized her by the neck again, this time throwing her down to the ground. With another heave, he threw his blade down after it, and though it only stuck an inch or two away from Majora, it nonetheless unleashed all the now purified energy in a mighty cyclone. The light blinded him, but he nonetheless floated in what he believed to be triumph.

At least, it felt that way until Majora's tentacles snared his ankles again and pulled him down after her. She was covered in bruises and cuts, now looking like she'd completely lost what little sanity she had left. She threw him all about like a rag doll, screaming like a wild infant as she did so. Despite his increase in both bulk and stamina, each impact hurt Link more and more until Majora pulled him in for a magically-charged punch. He went tumbling head-over-heels, coming to rest an inch or so from the edge. He stood long enough to get back into the action for a minute or two, again trading blows with the dark goddess until she tangled her tendrils around his wrists and spun him, kicking him in the groin and stumbling him and barring his arms behind him.

"Aww, what a shame." she giggled, edging closer to whisper in Link's ear in a horrific and taunting manner. "Daddy couldn't save you this time."

So it was true…and now even the Fierce Deity's power wasn't enough for Link to push her away. She kept on choking the life out of him and wrestled him to the ground, the Master Sword skittering away from him. He held up the Mirror Shield in a vain attempt to hold her strikes back, but that too was soon ripped from his grasp. The tendrils wrapped around him again, this time sending pulses of darkness through his body every few seconds. They rattled his bones and made every organ in his body ache. It was perhaps in that moment the worst kind of pain he had ever felt, even in this enhanced form. Each pulse weakened his mind and spirit, filling him with doubt and fear beyond compare. He could hear Cia begging him not to give up, and he certainly wouldn't be caught dead admitting defeat to this monstrosity, but as said monstrosity's laughter filled his ears, what hope the Fierce Deity's power had given him was starting to fade.

Majora's satisfaction was nonetheless short-lived when she heard a high-pitched battle cry, yet wasn't able to turn in time to stop Skull Kid from planting the Great Fairy Sword firmly through her back and out her chest on the other side. She released the beaten Link and looked down in shock before turning her head to Skull Kid with a fiery glare. Even though he knew what was coming, he didn't regret it. It had been one of his few shots at redemption, and he took it without a second thought.

"You little RUNT!" Majora shrieked, spinning around and backhanding the poor imp as hard as she could. "How dare you! I picked you up when you were nothing but a pathetic waste of life and this is how you thank me?! How far have you come because of me?!"

Skull Kid spat a drop of blood from the corner of his mouth and glared up at the dark goddess, smiling even as she hauled him into the air by his neck.

"It wasn't because of you." he said. "It was because of Link…Triforce or not, he's stronger than you'll ever be."

Majora roared and cast Skull Kid to the side. He rolled over several times, banging every part of himself against the hard surface before coming to a stop in a crumpled heap. Majora whipped her tentacle forward and strangled him again, now fully determined to make him suffer for daring to try and stop her now. She hauled him up, removed the Great Fairy Sword from her chest, and threw it headlong at him.

"INCOMING!" cheered a familiar voice.

Indeed, Pit swooped down as if from nowhere and seized the Great Fairy Sword, severing Majora's tentacle the moment it landed in his hand. The dark goddess screamed before whipping her second tendril at the angel, only to have it intercepted by Samus as she fired her Grapple Beam.

"I've seen enough weird stuff involving tentacles." she scoffed. "Ain't havin' that here, sister."

Samus lassoed Majora around the tower's roof, sending her soaring straight for Lucina. The Ylissean noble's blade flashed with a brilliant light, with one mighty slash booting her into the air again and another sending her shooting toward Shulk.

"STREAM EDGE!" the Monado wielder cried.

The Monado's blade extended as Shulk swung it horizontally, the energy blade cleaving across Majora's chest. She stood in place and shrieked, fixing her rage upon Shulk and rearing her tendrils back. The attack was cut short as a Light Arrow stuck into her stomach and forced her to double over. There stood Zelda, her brow knit and her teeth clenched, enraged that Majora had been able to thrash Link about for even a moment.

"You've placed far too much faith in yourself, Majora." the princess said. "And now it's come to haunt you."

"SILENCE!" Majora shrieked.

One stomp of Link's mighty greave was all it took to pin Majora down and flip her over to face him. In her eyes, he saw the utmost fear, and while it didn't make him happy under any circumstances, it left some relief. The one they feared as invincible was met with her final moments.

"Goddess or not, a tyrannical fool is still a tyrannical fool."

And all Majora could do was scream in pained anguish as the Master Sword pierced through her. She thrashed about as her blood began to soak the floor beneath her, kicking and retching as she did so. It was no use. The wound Link had inflicted was far too grievous, and now he seized her wrist and planted it firmly into her mind that her fate was sealed.

"And now to take back what you stole."

Majora roared as her two pieces of the Triforce left her, one piece surging back toward Zelda, and the other of which floated into Link. He felt the familiar strength return to him, and watched as Majora finally let herself go limp. Link pulled the Master Sword away, swiping the blood from its blade and turning toward his allies with the warmest of smiles. The most triumphant of smiles, which passed on to all his allies. Zelda approached him, and he looked down at her, now surprised at just how much the mask had changed him.

"Wow…" Zelda said with a light laugh. "This is quite something. How do you feel?"

"Taller." Link replied. "A lot taller."

The heroes smiled, but the sudden resonation of their Triforce pieces let them know that the fight was not over yet. They heard the clanking of his armour and felt his darkness long before they looked over the edge to see him, and when they spotted Ganondorf smirking up at them from below, they felt their determination peak.

One obstacle remained, and now they would make it crumble at its core.

"A fine show you've put on." the tyrant laughed. "A fine show, indeed, but I do believe the finale is about to begin."

Its power completely spent, the Fierce Deity Mask dropped off of Link's face and into his open hand, where he cast it aside. He leapt down from the tower's great height, landing feet-first and approaching his nemesis with a steely glare and the Master Sword at the ready.

"You're damn right…" he growled.

With a clench of his fist, Ganondorf generated a ring-shaped barrier around the two of them, and now neither Zelda's forces nor their opposition could interfere with this coming fight. Like it or not, Link was on his own, yet he was more than ready. The two combatants lunged at the same time, clashing hard and slashing even harder. This was nothing like the brief skirmish aboard Tetra's ship. Now it was a battle of equals, even if one opponent still struck like a humanoid war machine and the other mostly resorted to dodging and waiting for the proper moment to strike.

Link released a series of slashes, sending sword beams flying through the air that Ganondorf deflected with mere pushes of his great swords. The evil king took casual steps toward his opponent as he continued to deflect the blasts, raising one sword skyward and drawing down a mighty bolt of lightning before he swung the blade straight at Link, who vaulted away just in time. Ganondorf then fired the bolt, Link holding up the Mirror Shield to reflect it. The two remained locked together by the bolt, maintaining eye contact the entire time and challenging each other to even think of breaking it.

To Link's dismay, Ganondorf was the one to gain the upper hand this time, slamming his other sword into the ground and creating a tremor that shook Link enough to drop his guard. The lightning sparked, knocking Link back a fair few feet and letting Ganondorf make a flying leap toward him. The Hylian warrior rolled to the side and let the blades pass, leaping upward and striking the evil king hard across the face. Ganondorf struck Link in the chest, pushing him back and letting him lengthen his arm into a mighty gauntlet of shadow.

"Entertaining as always, hero." the Gerudo said as he struck the ground and sent up mighty geysers. "Though I've been in no short supply of it."

Link strafed all about as the geysers sailed past him, stirring up every bit of dust upon the ground. Link brushed the dirt away as he charged Ganondorf again, and the two traded blow after blow. The sounds of their blades clashing filled the air, and even when Link managed to make a cut along Ganondorf's ribs and Ganondorf managed a kick to Link's chest, the two kept on standing tall. Neither hero nor villain seemed to gain an edge, and this great duel was truly a spectacle to all who beheld it.

Ganondorf seized the chunk of earth Link stood upon and heaved it upward, leaving the hero flipping in mid-air. Link himself pulled back his bowstring and let his arrow fly, Ganondorf knocking it away as well as the Skyward Strike that followed it. Link stabbed downward, sending a wave of light energy toward his foe. A single slash dissipated it, Link rushing forward and impacting Ganondorf's guard. With a space now wide open, Link stabbed the Master Sword into Ganondorf's stomach. The evil king grunted in pain, grabbing Link by the collar and tossing him away, and though it stung him, he seized the Master Sword and pulled it from his body before casting it aside.

"Brutality." the evil king sneered. "You have improved in some surprising ways."

"That doesn't mean a damn thing coming from you." Link spat as he picked up his blade and attacked yet again.

Ganondorf began slashing harder, just barely missing Link every time. The hero felt the slashes come so close that he could feel the air around the tips of Ganondorf's swords digging into his skin. One such slash managed to graze across his cheek and leave a bloody gash, but his anger and focus were enough to keep him from even feeling the pain of the blow. They clashed again, holding each other back as well as they could, Ganondorf's sneer turning into an outright snarl.

"I've waited too long for my prize now." he growled. "And you've made a fool of me one too many times, boy."

And it seemed like that rage would be Link's downfall. He felt his muscles starting to give out, even feeling his knees start to buckle. Ganondorf indeed favoured strength over other traits, and that strength always did a number on each of his opponents. Even Link knew that he wasn't any match for the evil king on those grounds.

But Link knew above all else that Ganondorf's strength didn't come from the faith of his allies, and he could see beyond the barrier that all of his allies were watching him with their fondest prayers. Mako and Shanya watching their teacher taking on the most legendary of Hyrule's adversaries, Aryll praying that someone she considered like an older brother would get out of this alive, Volga impressed at how mighty a hero's resolve could be, but most touching of all was Zelda. All she cared about was Link, gazing upon him and praying for him like the greatest of life partners would. All of them praying for him in a way that Ganondorf's allies likely never would for their own master.

"Then you better fix your sense of patience." Link said as he regained his footing. "I'm not finished yet."

With a mighty roar, Link pushed back, the Master Sword lighting up brighter than ever. Now when Link swung, he had enough power his swing to deflect Ganondorf's own attacks, landing a few hits and chipping through the evil king's armour. Ganondorf himself summoned another powerful blast of darkness to push Link back, but that only gave the hero room for his final gambit. Link stretched out his empty hand, the Triforce of Courage leaving his hand and expanding. As it touched Ganondorf, it locked his arms and legs into place. No matter how hard he bucked against, the evil king knew he was stuck there.

"Impressive…damn you."

Link said nothing, and letting the Triforce's cage keep his enemy sealed, he rushed forward and slashed as fast as light. Whatever armour Ganondorf had left was shattered as the Master Sword cleaved across him again and again. Ganondorf's minions watched in horror as their leader hung there getting ripped apart with no way of fighting back, and the heroes watched Link unleash the full power of the gods upon his foe.

And at last, Link plunged the Master Sword through the cage, shattering it and sending Ganondorf soaring backward, crashing through his own barrier and enabling Zelda to generate a barrier between her army and his. Before Ganondorf cleared that distance, however, Link held out his hand and let the power of his Triforce piece build up before bellowing his demand.

"Return!"

The Triforce of Power obeyed, fleeing its holder who came to a stop on his feet. Yet all the rage he had within him couldn't stop him from dropping to his knees, one hand firmly on the ground as he tried to catch his breath. It was hard for Ganondorf to admit, but he was very impressed. Perhaps the stress of war had finally gone to Link's head and forced him to adopt a more violent side, but either way, he stood triumphant as he always had.

With two hard slashes and a spin of the blade in one hand, Link sheathed the Master Sword and closed his eyes as the Triforce of Power floated before him. He took in a deep breath, letting himself get a moment of well-deserved rest, and once he'd let it past, he released his Triforce piece toward Ganondorf's, as did Zelda. Thus, the completed Triforce shined before the heroes, each of them just as entranced by its beauty as the next. Simply being in the presence of it was enough to instill wonder and hope in all their hearts, as did the realization that they now had the power of undo the damage Majora had done.

"It's finally over…" Link sighed.

A moment of peace was well-deserved on their end, but strained and angry breathing hinted that it wasn't meant to be. The heroes turned, every one of them surprised and even horrified to see Majora standing there. Limping and clutching her side certainly, but standing nonetheless.

And worst of all, looking as though she was about to play her trump card.

"No, Link…" she said, starting to laugh. "Not nearly so."

The glow of the Triforce vanishing was their first heads-up, and Link remembered the Fierce Deity's warning about there being a traitor amongst their ranks. Yet never in a million years did he think it would be who he saw cradling the Triforce when they turned around.

"Shanya?!" Mako sputtered. "What are you doing?!"

In one swift motion, Shanya swept her hood down and ripped the bandages from her eyes. Her blank violet eyes that looked like a swirling vortex of nothingness. The smile on her face was perhaps the worst part. It was a clear indication that she felt no remorse for this. No remorse for turning her friends over to their doom.

No remorse for being the catalyst of devastation.

"I lied." she said. "As I have from the very beginning."

Impa recklessly dashed toward Shanya, her mighty sword raised to kill the traitor. Shanya, however, flashed her eyes a bloody shade of red, sending an invisible force to impact that Sheikah and send her hurtling backward. Fading into a flash of mist, Shanya reappeared beside Majora and helped her to her feet. The Goddess of Chaos thus stared upon the heroes with malicious triumph. Even Ganondorf's forces watching from a fair distance were appalled at what was happening.

"I thought it was so cute how the Fierce Deity had a child to carry out his legacy." Majora said menacingly. "So I figured why not try it myself, just with no idiot human parent to make the child weak."

She stroked Shanya's head as one might stroke a cat, Link and Mako still staring at their "friend" in disbelief. Neither of them understood how she could so readily betray them, especially not Mako. She'd been the only one he could gravitate to for so long, and yet now here she was acting as though that meant nothing.

Because, he realized in the most painful manner, it had meant nothing to her. She never cared for him. It was all a lie, and he'd been foolish enough to fall right into it.

"No. All I needed was a tiny piece of myself." Majora finished. "All I needed was to lower your guard just enough for me to slip right over it. Now you understand, don't you? I am everywhere…and I feel and know everything."

And thus, Majora seized the complete Triforce in her hand, and as its power entered her, the majesty of the relic shifted drastically, and the heroes all felt chilled to their core. Majora herself began to emanate an ominous light as Veran, Onox, and Wizzro reappeared behind, and when the dark goddess opened her eyes and let her smirk stretch into a fanged grin, the heroes suddenly found themselves unable to move. She raised her hand, a buildup of energy forming in her palm and growing more and more with every second that passed. She savoured their terror as they continued to watch and struggle to get free. Such bliss was a thing she thought she'd have to fight harder to get, but perhaps the Hylia's chosen hero really wasn't all he had been cracked up to be.

All the better to watch them all suffer.

"Congratulations, 'heroes'!" Majora laughed. "You've handed Hyrule to me on a silver platter…and now its last hope is gone forever!"

She let the power fly, the light too much for them, but not nearly as painful as their failure. It was genius. No one could have suspected Shanya to hand them over to the enemy. She'd been with the Hyruleans for years, and though she hadn't sat well with everyone, she had at least gotten the highest authorities to trust her. Had Majora really been so patient and coming up with every possible backup plan imaginable for all that time?

Whatever the case, they knew there was no getting out of this. They'd been played in the worst possible way, and they cusrsed themselves for not figuring it out sooner. Now because of one underestimation, Link, Zelda, and all their forces could do nothing but shield their eyes and await their fate, and as soon as the energy made contact with them, everything went black.

* * *

_**Sorry this one took so long, guys. I wanted it to be as good as possible what with this being the climax of the second act, but due to that and a huge level of heartache I've suffered recently, I wasn't able to finish it in a timely manner. I don't want to sound too sappy here, but I need to tell you all something serious. **__**Treasure your loved ones. Make the memories of them as vibrant and special as you can, and keep building them. They aren't going to be around forever, so you need to make every moment with them count, because when they're gone, those memories will be all you have left of them. **_

_**Though if you're feeling down, you could always remember that Breath of the Wild exists...oh my God...I want it! Nintendo! Why you gotta tease me?!**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)

_**Pit, Captain of Palutena's Guard- **_"The Return of Palutena" from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Gaol, Dark Lord of the Underworld- **_Boss theme from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Metal Face, Mechon Commander- **_"An Obstacle in Our Path" from Xenoblade Chronicles

_**Shulk, Heir to the Monado- **_"You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles

**_Warriors from worlds beyond- _**Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army: Round 2 - **_"Silent Guardians" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus the Fierce Deity - **_"The Crest of Thirst" from Dynasty Warriors 6

_**Surprise attack from the otherworld warriors - **_"Multi-Man Melee 1" from Super Smash Bros. Melee

_**Fierce Deity Link versus Majora - **_"Psychostorm" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ganondorf - **_Ganondorf's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time


	28. Last Light in Castle Town

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

**Last Light in Castle Town**

With the completed Triforce in hand and no heroes left to stop her, Majora and her forces broke free from Termina's chains and turned to their next target. Despite no leadership, the Hyruleans managed to put up as much of a fight as they could, but in the end, it took the dark forces a mere month to claim dominion over the land. They were herded about like cattle, the strong becoming slaves and the weak receiving death. Rebellions sprung up thanks to what remained of the more rambunctious soldiers, but they were swiftly crushed as soon as one of Majora's generals joined the fray. Majora herself took up sanctuary in Hyrule Castle, and with her newfound power and no one left to challenge her, she began dispatching her generals to cause chaos, and sometimes she'd smite entire villages herself just for the fun of it.

Before long, Hyrule had become a near wasteland practically mirroring the decayed state Termina had been left in. The ground lay cracked and barren, the seas froze over, the sky went dark, and even the mighty Death Mountain had fizzled out. The world had become cold as death, and it seemed nothing could ignite the fires again.

The Fierce Deity and his own generals believed that when they arrived a long while later, looking out on the desolate land in despair and regret. Regardless, the Fierce Deity himself sensed one last beacon of hope headed for Castle Town. Too reckless for her own good, but not afraid to face danger head-on, and in this dark time, perhaps that was just what was necessary.

To say that Linkle was shocked and outright furious when the monsters had stormed her village was an understatement, and now that she'd gathered up a small gang of rebels and let her hatred for these interlopers build up, it was time to hit them where it hurt. Castle Town wasn't too far away, but they could already see the monsters marching around it and hear panicked civilians screaming inside. They picked up the pace, making sure to avoid catching the attention of the archers atop the battlements until they'd long-jumped over the splintered drawbridge.

Through the gate, they saw the horrible state the once proud Castle Town was in. Buildings were either in shambles or on fire. Monsters pushed innocent people around and yelled at them, and some were even beating the people within inches of their lives. Children cried, wives clung to their husbands, and each corner of each street looked as hopeless as the last.

The revellers kept their attention on a nearby group of people on their knees as a brigade of Stalfos marched around them, likely deciding whether or not to put them to work or just kill them outright. With a quick cock of her head, Linkle directed her companions toward them. They nodded, the villagers looking up as the group approached. Some showed concern that the hooded invaders may have been yet another set of monsters for them to contend with, while some rightfully held onto hope that they were there to do something and reignite what little faith they had left.

And as Linkle spoke, they knew they were right to pray for salvation.

"Evening, boys." the young woman said.

The Stalfos spun around just in time to see Linkle whip out her twin crossbows and fire upon them. Her companions in turn drew their weapons and swung with all their might, and within moments, the monsters fell dead at their feet. The townspoeple looked on in awe, the renegades tossing them a few spare weapons as Linkle pulled her hood down and let them see the stern look in her eyes.

"Anybody who still has the strength to fight, follow me!" she shouted. "We're taking the town back!"

The villagers looked hesitant to pick up the weapons at first, but they let everything mull over in their heads. The monsters had come in out of nowhere, raided their town, killed a great number of them and enslaved the rest, and all of this because some dark goddess from another world felt she was entitled to it all.

To say the least, the anger they felt at these thoughts was enough to compel them to seize the weapons and take off alongside Linkle and her companions. More monsters began to pour in through the alleys, Linkle keeping her pace going and firing on them while those with bladed weapons dealt the finishing blows. Perhaps the monsters themselves were too surprised at this sudden uprising, proving too much of a change of pace for them to keep up. Or maybe Linkle and her crew were simply too strong for them.

No. They saw it in her eyes. It was her rage. She'd seen enough destruction at the hands of their mistress. Now she was striking back, and they didn't have a chance in high hell.

The further the rebels went, the more innocent civilians saw what they were doing and took up whatever they could to start fighting back. Biding their time and letting their vengeance build up had paid off, with some of them being strong enough to knock Stalfos skulls clean off with single swings. Even if they weren't absurdly strong, when Moblins and Darknuts started to flood in and quell the masses, they held the line and kept pushing back. Some took more grievous wounds than others, but there was no denying that they were managing far better than any monster (or even the townspeople themselves) could have predicted.

But Linkle knew better than to let her guard down when it came to this kind of situation. One of those accursed generals would be along at any given moment, and she needed to make every preparation she could for it.

"Niko!" she called. "Head for a high spot! Scope everything out and take down any stragglers!"

The rebel wielding a longbow nodded and immediately began scaling the nearby building. Linkle dispatched more of her companions down the upcoming streets, with the one wielding an ax leading a small group of the townspeople up one street and the one wielding twin blades led another group down the next street. What a time for them to split up, for a swarm of Aeralfos began descending upon the town. Niko opened fire, surprising Linkle with just how fast his bow arm was as well as his accuracy.

The emerald-garbed heroine had been counting down the minutes that had passed before one of the generals showed up, and she'd gotten to about ten when Wizzro suddenly materialized and looked about at all the chaos.

"What in the world is going on now?!" he yelled.

He heard the clicking of Linkle's crossbows and turned to find himself staring down the sight of one of them as she visually dared him to make a move. Though that should have been enough to make him fearful being the snivelling little wretch he was, he still managed a tiny bit of courage.

"Oh, ho! What have we here?!" he laughed. "A fair damsel taking up arms to try and fight back, huh?"

He had hoped to use those few moments to conjure a hand behind Linkle and seize her, but with a quick flip the moment he made a grab at her and a rain of arrows upon him, several of which stuck right into him, she was a fair distance away and ready for whatever he had next.

"Trust me, monster." she said. "Don't bite off more than you can chew. Certainly not with this 'fair damsel'."

Wizzro shrieked and carried on while Veran lowered into view from somewhere above and Onox came crashing through a nearby stone wall. Both looked disgusted to see their companion outdone so easily, but they were even more disgusted to see their "cattle" fighting back against them after months upon months of at least slight obedience. They thought they'd quelled the last of the rebellions, but it seemed there was still work to be done.

"So you're confident enough to come knocking at our door, are you?" Veran asked. "Why now of all times, might I ask?"

"Because now you've pushed us too far." Linkle spat, aiming one crossbow at Veran and the other at Onox and waiting for any sign of movement. "You raid our homes, kill and enslave our families…and on this day and the days that follow, we will have our revenge!"

"Big talk for such an adorable little thing. And why oh why are you dressed like Hylia's chosen hero? Heaven forbid there's actually two of them at the same time."

Two of them at the same time? Linkle struggled to believe that, partly for her own admittedly selfish reasons, but if there was another hero, he or she certainly wasn't here. She felt the weight of the compass around her neck, clutching at it with one hand and closing her eyes to collect her thoughts. She remembered the promise she'd made to her grandmother before she had left her village. She promised to come back home safe, and she had no intentions of betraying that promise now.

She prayed for her grandmother's protection and the protection of the gods themselves, and with that, she stood ready.

"I guess you could say where the other hero drops the ball, I pick it up." she said.

"That remains to be seen." Onox snarled as he began to swing his mighty weapon. "Have at you!"

Linkle slid under Onox's strike and aimed both crossbows at Veran, firing upon her as fast as she could though not managing to make a single hit as the sorceress disappeared and reappeared on the ground. Linkle vaulted into the air and rained down another torrent of arrows, and to her dismay, Veran waved her hand and conjured a barrier, the arrows uselessly bouncing. In one swift motion, Veran was level with Linkle and casting forth another barrier. The heroine took the blow, though managed to stay upright and slide a few feet away as she reached the ground again.

"Quite impressive, isn't it?" the sorceress said with a leering smile. "Our goddess really has made such a delight impact on everything. Us? We feel more alive than ever."

"You think I care?!" Linkle growled.

The young heroine jumped forward as Onox swung his weapon, grabbing onto the chain and letting it drag her toward its wielder. From there, she extended her legs, her boots catching Onox's attention with the wing-like structures on the collar. As he started to question them, the boots caught a sudden gust of wind and carried their wearer at such high speed that when she landed a kick on the metal behemoth's head, it caused far more damage than he was expecting.

"And that's just the beginning!" Linkle shouted.

Indeed it was. She used the momentum to carry her into the air, kicking her other leg upward and sending a jet of razor-like wind shooting at Veran. The sorceress strafed away, conjuring spheres of darkness that she threw at her opponent only to have them parried by a flurry of arrows. She couldn't believe a mere human could move so quickly, but it certainly happened when Linkle slammed the Pegasus Boots hard against the sorceress's chest. Like Linkle had said, though, that was only the beginning, as they returned to the ground with the young heroine surfing on top of her opponent before vaulting backward and launching her into the nearby wall.

"And that's how you do it." Linkle said as she stood and got a chance to catch her breath.

"Don't get cocky, child!" Onox bellowed. "We aren't finished with you yet!"

Linkle turned in time to see the metal sphere come surging for her, and she managed to kick up a discarded shield and push against the impact, though it forced her back quite a large distance. Though she was ready to get right back into the action, Wizzro had other ideas as he pulled the last of Linkle's arrows out of himself. One of his Wallmaster-like hands sprouted from the ground and seized the heroine by the ankle, and though she broke free in a matter of seconds, she stumbled forward enough that the next hand grabbed her torso and flung her high into the air.

Thrown off but not defeated just yet, Linkle let the Pegasus Boots carry her onto a nearby rooftop. She fired everything she had, as did Niko some distance away, but all it took was for Onox to swing his mighty weapon to put an end to whatever hope that might have mustered up. The building collapsed, taking Linkle down into the rubble. There she remained half-buried, struggling to get free as the three evil generals closed in on her. Wizzro heaved her up by her neck, proceeding to let the darkness seep into her and steadily eat away at her energy. After all the nuisances he'd been faced with over the past little while, he was ready to outright slaughter the next person that tried to make a fool out of him.

"Drum up some petty resistances and entertain us all you like." the cloaked fiend hissed. "But humiliate us and you're just asking for…"

"Oh, shut it!" Linkle growled back before brutally reminding Wizzro he'd forgotten to suspend her arms.

Wizzro shrieked as more arrows pierced him, and though Linkle was able to break free for but a moment, it didn't matter when Veran built up a significant amount of energy and unleashed in a way that sent the young heroine tumbling away, coming to rest face first on the ruined street. All the strength had been sucked out of her, and she barely found it in herself to lift her now bleeding face from the stone she lay on. The three generals began bearing down on her yet again, and that was when she saw her own comrades dropping everything and running toward the scene. She was grateful beyond words for their selflessness, but it didn't change the fact that none of them knew what they were in for.

"No, stay back!" Linkle cried.

Too late. The rebels recklessly charged in and were met with brutal strikes from Onox's flail, flying against the nearby wall and crumbling to a heap on the ground. Though they had survived, their wounds were grievous enough that they couldn't get back to their feet. Onox began to approach them, but with at least a small fledge of her strength having returned, Linkle rushed in front of them and stood defiantly between her friends and their opponent. Onox stopped, sneering underneath his helm.

"How touching." he scoffed before he started to swing his weapon again. "In that case, enjoy your shared grave!"

"Not so fast, general. Let me have a little bit of time with"

Onox stopped, Linkle relieved for a moment that subsided when she saw the source of the voice. Majora descended into view, her entire body glowing with an ethereal light that didn't suit her dark heart (or lack thereof). Everything went silent, as if even the mighty gales that had been roaring moments ago were too afraid to utter a single sound in her presence.

"You…" Linkle started. "…you're this Majora person I've been hearing about?"

"I am." the dark goddess said with a small half-smile. "That was very entertaining. You've done quite well for such an innocent little thing. And look at you now, guarding your friends from near certain death. I'd find it admirable if it wasn't just plain stupid."

Linkle gritted her teeth as well as tightened her grip on her crossbows. She felt the madness oozing from every inch of Majora's body, almost too much for her to handle. She saw all the cowering townspeople trying to keep their distance, feeling their fear nearly overwhelm her. More than anything, though, it enraged her to see someone like this holding such a tyrannical rule over people who deserved better.

Stubborn as it may have been, Linkle trained her crossbows at Majora's chest, the dark goddess herself simply laughing in response.

"Come on, you really think that's going to do anything to me? Just look."

She raised the back of her hand and let Linkle get a good view of the Triforce. The young heroine had heard that Majora had stolen the great treasure and that had been why she had conquered Hyrule so easily, but to actually see it and realize it wasn't just a horror story someone dreamt up was just terrible to witness. This had been the unbeatable foe everyone had feared would one day descend upon Hyrule. Not the grunts that came before her or even Ganondorf.

Their destroyer had come.

"As long as I have this," Majora said. "You won't even scratch me. None of you will. All you're doing is prolonging the inevitable."

Linkle foolishly dared to prove her otherwise, only managing to raise her crossbows a single inch before a pulse of darkness ebbed from Majora's body and struck her at full force. Linkle collapsed on all fours, yet still tried to raise her weapon. She couldn't be defeated…not now. Not by this fiend.

"Ugh, still trying to play a hero, are you?" Majora scowled. "Fine. I guess I just have to show you this."

She pointed to a building, a quick and tiny flash of energy jetting from her fingertip. What power it must have held, for the entire building burst into pieces that flew for miles. The townspeople screamed, though such things were barely audible over the sonic boom the exploding building generated. Linkle herself had to duck in cover when one of the massive pieces came soaring over her head.

"So yes." Majora said with a shrug. "That's what you're dealing with. But let it never be said I wasn't merciful…Linkle, I believe you said your name was? Kneel before me. Swear absolute loyalty to me, and I promise that you won't have to find out what your eyes taste like."

She laughed. She thought this was funny. She thought this whole thing was a game, and that was perhaps what made Linkle the angriest. She saw them all as toys, fit only to be played with and then thrown away when she got bored with them.

"How dare you…" Linkle seethed.

"What's that?"

All at once, Linkle was on her feet. She didn't raise her weapons again, knowing at that point it was completely pointless, but by the high heavens did she have a select amount of words to say to this beast. Even the fact that it might cost the young heroine her life didn't mean anything to her anymore. Majora expected cowardice and submission, but she was about to receive more defiance and more proof that she wouldn't be given total domination so easily.

"Don't kid yourself!" she shouted. "A promise coming from you doesn't mean a damn thing to me! As long as I live and breathe, I will never kneel to vile second-rate piece of trash like you!"

It satisfied her to see her defiance trigger Majora so quickly, and she knew what would come next, but in her mind, it was worth it. She took in what she perceived to be her last few breathes and wished everyone she knew and loved well. Most of all, she prayed that someone would soon follow in her footsteps. Someone had to stop Majora at all costs.

"As long as you live and breathe, hm?" Majora said through clenched teeth. "If you're going to be so insolent, perhaps I should change that…"

Majora raised her hand to Linkle, who prepared for the absolute worst, but said absolute worst never came as a brilliant light shined from above. Even Majora hadn't a clue what it was or where it came from, at least not until she felt the cold and brutal tear of a sword slicing into her back. As a test, she'd allowed numerous Hyrulean soldiers to try and kill her with their blades, and yet none of them had even made a dent in her. This, however…

And when she turned to face her attacker after she'd let out a blood-curdling scream, it all made sense.

"The hell you will." the Fierce Deity said.

"You!"

"Yes, me. Did you miss me?"

In a moment of pure rage, Majora unleashed a burst of dark energy that decimated everything within its reach. The only reason Linkle and her allies weren't caught up in the blast was because the Fierce Deity's lieutenants had swooped in and pulled them out of danger's reach just in time. Majora's generals came after them almost immediately while Majora herself duelled the Fierce Deity, and the two groups clashed hard and fast. Onox began swinging madly, King Bulblin deflecting it and leaving sizable cracks in the metal behemoth's armour and even going as far as to bury the blade of his axe into the armour. Veran swooped down to try and help her ally, only to end up having her jaw smashed as Byrne streaked in and struck her away, Kafei sliding in afterward and strumming his instrument in such a way that the sonic boom that resulted sent Veran flying away.

"What is this madness?!" Wizzro sputtered, turning to flee and regretting it when Ravio stood there with an Ice Rod in his hand.

"Running away already?" the violet-haired youth asked. "And I thought I was a wuss way back when."

Letting all of her strength finally return to her, Linkle watched the Fierce Deity and his men bring the monsters down. The Fierce Deity himself didn't seem to need any divine artifact to hold his own here, and though he certainly wasn't winning against Majora, she wasn't exactly beating him, either.

"I'm certainly not going to get anything done just laying around." she said to herself before turning to her now steadily healing allies. "Come on! We've still got work to do!"

"Man, you never now when to quit, do you?" Niko sighed with a smile.

"Nope. Now let's get to it!"

The rebels jumped in again just as Onox was starting to gain the upper hand on King Bulblin. As the metal behemoth swung, Niko slid in at just the right moment and fired an arrow into the open space hear his shoulder. Onox cried out in pain, and King Bulblin smirked before rearing his mighty axe back and swinging it with all his might, striking Onox so hard that he flew backward. Byrne and Kafei were steadily starting to fall prey to all of Veran's dark magical attacks. Luckily, dead man's volley had become a sport to Linkle's two blade-wielding companions, and they were able to rush in and deflect just enough blows for the witch to lose her balance, and that was when Byrne vaulted up after her and struck her down to the ground for the final time.

Linkle meanwhile rushed toward the most heated battle only for Wizzro to get in the way yet again. She furrowed her brow and gritted her teeth. Already she was sick of this ugly little spud, and his pompous attitude towards her and everything around him didn't help matters much either.

"Hold it right there, you little brat!" Wizzro shouted as he conjured more hands from the ground.

Linkle flipped and rolled all about, Wizzro growing more frustrated the longer he failed to catch her. In the meantime, she kept closing the distance between the two of them, intimidating her opponent more than ever once he saw the fiery look in her eyes.

"Why won't you die?!" he shrieked.

Linkle finally landed right in front of him, both crossbows locked and loaded. Wizzro knew perfectly well what was about to happen, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring himself to believe it even as it was happening.

"Because I live for making monsters pay for their crimes." Linkle answered before she pulled the triggers.

The arrows buried themselves into Wizzro's eye, and he screamed longer and louder than ever before. Linkle watched as his form started to twist all about and even begin to shrink. Violet light enveloped his body as a hiss filled the air, and within moments, the little beast was no more than a glowing ring laying on the ruined street.

"Rotten little bastard…" Linkle spat as she raised her foot and stomped on the ring as hard as she could, shattering it into pieces.

Majora generated a mighty blade to counter the Fierce Deity, clashing and keeping her eyes madly burrowing into his. She didn't understand why the Triforce wasn't enough to beat him. Why was it that nothing she did could keep him away from her? Why did he have to ruin everything for her?

"This is my time!" she hollered. "I worked my ass off for all of this! Let me have it and stop being such a stick in the mud!"

"You're a child, Majora." the Fierce Deity said. "Your playdate is reaching its end. Soon you have to go to bed…and this time, you're going to bed forever."

Majora roared in frustration before she pushed the Fierce Deity back and began angrily slashing at him, sending sonic booms through the air every time she did. Linkle kept running straight for them, loading her crossbows up again. Was Majora right? Would the arrows have no effect on her? It was a risk Linkle was willing to take what with her already being within firing distance.

Luckily, she had a mighty ally in the Fierce Deity, who turned to her just as she approached. He smiled, his eyes flashing a bright blue for a split second. When that second passed, Linkle's crossbows glowed the same hue, and she felt their power creep into her very soul. She heard the god's voice in her head, telling her now to fire with everything she had, and she was happy to obey.

"Hey!" she shouted, catching Majora's attention right as she aimed true. "Consider this the real welcoming party!"

Majora conjured a barrier within her hands to block the incoming jets of energy that Linkle fired, but they were too strong. They pierced right through and buried themselves into her palms. Before Majora even got the chance to realize what had happened, the Fierce Deity stuck his sword through her and vaulted her high into the air. Then with a powerful leap and an even more powerful kick to her back, he launched her a solid mile away. When she finally came to a floating stop, she angrily yelled and looked ready to come flying after him, but he at last played his trump card. To Majora's unquenchable fury, a limitless barrier between her and Castle Town conjured, and the Fierce Deity at last sheathed his blade.

"Get you gone," he bellowed. "And torment the people of this peaceful town no more!"

Majora struck the barrier with everything she had from her own two fists to mighty beams of energy. It didn't matter. She wasn't getting through. She clenched her fists and shook in rage before screaming at the sky as loud as she could. The Fierce Deity simply scoffed, unfazed by this level of immaturity and total madness, though even he wasn't pleased with what happened next.

The one thing that everyone could confirm was that what little patience Majora had had completely faded away.

"THAT'S IT!" she roared.

There came a great flash from high above, and the heroes looked skyward to spot what they dreaded seeing: the very same moon that had crashed into Termina, now more twisted and demonic looking than ever. As they looked up at it in horror, the townspeople began to cower yet again, some running straight back into their homes to hide. The Fierce Deity meanwhile clenched his teeth and cursed himself for not being able to do more.

With a snap of her fingers, Majora summoned Veran and Onox back to her side, then pointed a quivering finger at the Fierce Deity and shouted so loud that the entire country could hear and fear it.

"THREE DAYS, YOU BASTARD! THREE DAYS AND EVERYONE DIES!"

And just like that, the fiendish trio was gone, leaving the good people of Castle Town to process what had happened. Linkle in particular kept staring up at the monstrous rock above them, feeling the worst mix of fear and determination she'd ever felt. She wanted to do something about this, but what could she do?

"You show much spirit."

Linkle turned to see the Fierce Deity smiling at her, his four lieutenants at his sides. She put her crossbows away and nodded, a slight grin on her lips for a single moment.

"Thanks for your help." she said. "My name is Linkle. Who are you?"

"I am known now as simply the Fierce Deity. And I can see in your eyes that you want to keep fighting back."

"Well…yeah…but is that impossible?"

The Fierce Deity motioned for her to follow him while his lieutenants remained and tended to the wounded. Linkle remained at his side until they were back out on the desolate remains of Hyrule Field. There, he pointed eastward to where a group of shadowy clouds gathered in a hurricane-like swirl.

"Princess Zelda and her army are being held captive within the Shadow Temple to the east of here." he said. "You'll definitely need my assistance to free them all. A piece of Majora's spirit was left there to watch over them in case they were to try and escape."

"So what should I do in the meantime?"

"Before they were taken, I managed to retrieve one of them and seal him beneath Lake Hylia to keep him hidden from Majora's armies."

"Who is he?"

"He is the wielder of the Master Sword, and before Majora took it from him, he was also the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. His name is Link."

Bearer of the Triforce of Courage? Linkle felt a new wave of defeat wash over her and cursed herself for thinking so selfishly. All her life she'd grown up thinking it was only a matter of time before the golden relic found its way to her, and even before the Fierce Deity had mentioned Link, she'd thought that maybe Majora had just been a minor setback in that plan. But no. She knew the truth now.

"Is something the matter?" the Fierce Deity asked.

"No…" Linkle said. "Nothing. It's stupid. I'll do it, but it'll take me a while to get there on foot, and…well, time's kinda of the essence here."

"I couldn't agree more, which is why you won't be going on foot."

The Fierce Deity whistled, and Linkle heard loud gallops before Epona came speeding up to them. She whinnied at the Fierce Deity, and he smiled as he stroked her smooth snout. The mare then looked over at Linkle, sputtering lightly and approaching her slowly at first. Linkle reached out her hand, Epona pulling back a fraction of an inch for a moment, but nonetheless allowed her to touch her.

"This is Epona." the Fierce Deity said. "She will lead you right to him."

"She's his horse?" Linkle asked.  
"Yes. Separating the two of them is near impossible, and she'll gladly go to the end of the world and back to save him if that's what it takes."

That was all Linkle needed. She'd never ridden a horse before, and it showed when she at first struggled to mount Epona, though the mare bent down a bit to help her. The young heroine got properly seated and took a hold of the reins, then lightly stroked behind Epona's ears. The horse sputtered and tapped her front hoof. She was ready to go when Linkle was.

"So I just go to Lake Hylia and break Link out?" she asked.

"Yes." the Fierce Deity replied. "With any luck, you won't face any interference on your way there. My lieutenants and I will join you once you rescue him. In the meantime, we'll stay here and keep the monsters held back."

Linkle nodded, and the Fierce Deity approached Epona to lightly stroke her. He smiled as he looked into the mare's soft eyes, flashing back to a time when horses like this ran wild throughout the land. It was a far more beautiful place back then, though he refused to blame the decline on the people that lived in the world now. More so, he remembered Epona herself. She'd been a shy and skittish little thing once, and to see her having grown so much in the years that had passed was truly a sight.

"Thank you for all you've done for him." he whispered to her. "Please keep him safe a little while longer. No matter the cost…"

Epona snorted and bobbed her head, and the Fierce Deity stepped back and gave a similar salute to Linkle.

"It's time." he said. "Hurry on now. All of Hyrule is counting on you."

Linkle sucked in a breath and let it out before nodding again, and with a light snap of the reins, she was off. The God of Order's last words to her were what stuck in her head as she went. To have that much responsibility in these dark times…it was a burden she was more than happy to bear. She'd already been planning to make her way to Hyrule Castle to enlist as a solider, but now she carried more importance than anyone else in the world.

She looked over her shoulder at the still conjured barrier, swearing she could feel Majora leering at her from somewhere beyond it. She envisioned what was to come. What would Link be like? If Linkle herself wasn't the hero, she was certainly ecstatic to meet the real one, but would even he be enough to stop her?

She'd didn't know, but as she and her steed raced across the field to their destination, she brought herself to hope. In times like this, that was the only good thing she could feel.

* * *

_**Ah, Linkle. The character that broke the Internet for a little while. I like her look and weapons, but I have to say that I find her characterization in Hyrule Warriors Legends a bit irritating. It seems like the game took too many extra steps to make her look less heroic than Link (i.e. getting lost on the way to the castle and getting everywhere way too late). Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people that thinks Link absolutely must have a female version nor do I think she'd a disservice to the series. I'm saying Omega Force and Nintendo Treehouse need better writers.**_

_**But in any case, tune in next time, and Link finally decides he's had enough of a certain sorceress inhabiting him.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)

_**Pit, Captain of Palutena's Guard- **_"The Return of Palutena" from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Gaol, Dark Lord of the Underworld- **_Boss theme from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Metal Face, Mechon Commander- **_"An Obstacle in Our Path" from Xenoblade Chronicles

_**Shulk, Heir to the Monado- **_"You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles

**_Warriors from worlds beyond- _**Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army: Round 2 - **_"Silent Guardians" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus the Fierce Deity - **_"The Crest of Thirst" from Dynasty Warriors 6

_**Surprise attack from the otherworld warriors - **_"Multi-Man Melee 1" from Super Smash Bros. Melee

_**Fierce Deity Link versus Majora - **_"Psychostorm" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ganondorf - **_Ganondorf's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

_**Last Light in Castle Town - **_Molgera's theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Hyrule Warriors Legends version)


	29. Hyrule has Fallen

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

**Hyrule has Fallen**

The moment Majora's light had struck him, every single one of Link's nerves had just turned off. He felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing, and knew nothing. What he floated in now was nothing but a black void, too vast to give any comfort and yet warm in a strange way.

This emptiness, though, only served to remind him over and over again of what had just happened, and despair seized the young hero's heart and wouldn't let go. He had overlooked one thing, and it had cost him and his friends everything. Just when it looked like the madness was about to come to an end, the tables were turned, and now here he was. Floating away from everyone and everything he knew.

He sighed, the sound echoing throughout the abyss as he let himself hang limp. It was humiliating to lose to such a childish fiend, though he couldn't help but admire the intricacy of it all. Shanya…how could she? It was a logical question, but the real one was how could he bring himself to trust her when he knew nothing about her? He had been a fool…they had all been fools.

Why was he alone? Was this death? Was this all that had awaited him after all his hardships? Had the gods truly forsaken him to this level? He supposed it didn't matter, because now he was just thinking about all his fallen allies. The strongest people he'd ever known, genius tacticians, and even people he'd sworn to protect.

Even Zelda…the person who trusted him most of all.

"Zelda…" he said, as if the princess would hear him in this endless space. "I failed you…and now I have to suffer here…all alone…"

No sooner had those words passed his lips did a floor generate beneath his feet. Now that sorrow became anger. He knew what came next, and he was in no mood for it. Of course, would that stop who he knew was waiting for an opportunity like this?

"You're not alone."

The words offered him no comfort. The last thing he wanted to do while he was stuck in this never-ending nightmare was talk to Cia, but the sorceress appeared before him regardless of it. He refused to even look at her as she took her slow and seductive strides toward her, though he could see that hadn't dissuaded her from closing the distance even one bit.

"Why so glum, darling?" she asked, bringing her hands up to the young hero's cheeks, who no longer had the will to push her away. "Isn't this lovely? Space as far as the eye can see with just the two of us to rule over all of it."

"I don't think I'm the man for that particular job…" Link meekly replied. "Look at this…look at what happened. I failed them, Cia…I failed them all."

Cia was at least somewhat sympathetic, pulling him into a soft embrace that he didn't return, but nonetheless appreciated even if only slightly. He could sense, however, that she was sympathetic only toward his own sorrow, not to those he had lost, and the more that thought remained in his mind, the angrier he got. Angry at Cia for acting like it meant nothing, angry at Majora for causing it, but most of all angry at himself. How had what they had not been enough?

And why was Cia unintentionally provoking him now?

"Well, look on the bright side." she said.

"I just lost all my friends to a monster that's going to take over all of Hyrule." Link replied, his weakness now draining his ability to stand as he dropped onto his knees. "Where in that scenario is there a bright side?"

"You still have me, right?"

Her hands clasped his cheeks and she drew close enough for him to take in her scent. Luscious as it was, it didn't make him feel any better about his situation. It made him feel dirty. Like he had let his friends die and now he was betraying them by allowing Cia to fraternize with him. She began to whisper sweet nothings into his ear, and he ignored them for the most part. What could she possibly say to him to make him forget what had just happened?

She couldn't, but she could certainly make him feel even worse.

"Forget about Zelda. Forget about Hyrule. They were all fleeting lives that would disappear over the course of time. Me? I'll be with you forever."

Forget about Hyrule? How could she even suggest such a thing? It wasn't as if he didn't wonder if maybe all he did for the country wasn't worth it, but he could dissuade that with the simple statement of him being one of the people living in it. It was his duty as a living being to protect his homeland, and to tell him to forget about it was in his mind the ultimate insult. And yet with all completely lost, what choice did he have?

The choice to keep on believing, it would seem, for he could suddenly feel a presence. A mighty presence that felt familiar in just the right way. A presence he had overcome, but only because it had allowed him to.

"It's him…he's here…somewhere…"

Cia immediately displayed a worried look at Link began to frantically look around, trying to sense for any sort of similar energy. Through the Fierce Deity, he found it. Somewhere far from where he was, but nonetheless there and apparent. All of them…all of his allies. Imprisoned and not even conscious from what he could feel, but all things at least not dead.

"They're alive…they're still alive!" he said. "I…I can still save them!"

Such a revelation provided him all the determination he needed, and he tried to push himself to his feet. To his fury, Cia still resisted his heroics, keeping a firm grip on his hand and pulling him back down to look at her. She looked disappointed with him. Not for wanting to leave her, but more for him even thinking of saving his friends, and that was perhaps what irritated him the most. Cia was indeed the darker half of a much more powerful being, but he never thought she'd be so selfish.

"Link." she said sternly. "None of them matter. You've seen it for yourself. There's nothing you can do to stop her now. Just forget about them. Stay here with me and you won't ever feel the pain of the outside world again. What does it have to offer you?"

He stared deep into her eyes and saw this wasn't any kind of flirtatious talk to win him over. She genuinely wanted him to abandon everything he knew, and in those moments of realizations came the most unchained rage he'd ever managed to bottle up inside of himself. The more she tugged on him, though, the more the cap started to loosen, and now it had evolved beyond anger. Beyond rage.

Now his feelings for her had become pure hatred.

He stood, Cia perking up when he turned to her and looked like he was about to embrace her. She had second thoughts when she saw the furious look in his eyes, but she couldn't stop him from losing control of his emotions and striking her across the face. She stumbled backward, clutching at the spot where he had hit her and looking at Link with confusion and disbelief while he stood there flaring his nostrils and barely holding himself back from shouting as loud as he could.

"You try to destroy innocent lives and then you cling to me to try and tell me nothing I've fought for matters…and yet you claim to love me?" he seethed. "And you expect me to love you in return?!"  
"Link, I…"

"Shut up! I don't care what you think! I'm going back out there because it's my duty as a knight, or hell! It's my duty just as a person to go back out there and do what's right for my country and my friends, and if you've got a problem with that, then I don't want to see you ever again!"

Cia looked genuinely hurt by his words, more so than his strike. So much so that she seemed on the verge of tears as Link continued to glare at her with such bitter hatred that it chilled the very air around him. She felt what was left of her heart start to break, but it was quickly filled when images of Zelda flashed through her mind unbeknownst to Link. In those moments, she knew why he was so adamant in rejecting her, and she too became angry.\

Yet unleashing that anger would have to wait, for as Link mustered up one last holler as his consciousness started to fade back in, she knew she was no longer welcome there.

"LEAVE!"

* * *

Linkle didn't know what the Fierce Deity had been thinking trapping Link in a container at the bottom of Lake Hylia. If she was honest, it just made everything far more difficult than it otherwise would have been. Then again, most of Majora's minions likely wouldn't have the idea nor the stamina to dive to the bottom of the largest lake in Hyrule. She barely had the latter herself as she finally broke the container open and freed its occupant.

The sudden rush of water jolted Link from his unconscious state, not realizing where he was until he accidentally took in a big gulp of water. He writhed about for a bit, Linkle able to take his hand and begin hauling him up just before he passed out yet again. The young heroine gritted her teeth as she too started feeling faint, but she kept kicking as hard as she could, hauling Link's rather heavy body along with her.

Somehow she could imagine it could only be worse if he turned out to be a Goron.

Nevertheless, they made it just in time, Linkle taking in several deep breathes before hauling Link onto her shoulder and then boosting him onto the shoreline. Epona whinnied in excitement at the sight of her long-lost master, though grew concerned when she approached him and he didn't wake up right away. Linkle got straight to work, pushing against his chest as many times as she could to try and force the water out of his lungs. She looked him over as she did so, marvelled at just how handsome he was though this fascination was hindered when she remembered who he was and let her jealousy wash over her again.

"No. Don't think like that. He's Hyrule's last hope…" she told herself before looking at his lips and pondering over what to do next. "…well, he is unconscious, after all."

She gulped before steadily lowering her mouth, yet just when their lips were about to meet so she could breathe more air into him, Link coughed up the water in his lungs and jolted into a sitting position. Linkle breathed out, happy to see that she wasn't too late, and Epona whinnied again before nudging her master's shoulder to get his attention. Link weakly looked over his shoulder, not questioning how his faithful steed was there and somply smiling and patting her snout before he looked at his rescuer.

"Who…" he started.

"My name is Linkle." Linkle herself said as she shook off all the water. "I know who you are. The Fierce Deity told me to come rescue you."

So the Fierce Deity was there…and after all Link heard, somehow it filled him with hope rather than the dread of before. He tried to get to his feet, but his strength had yet to fully return to him and he stumbled straight into Linkle's arms. She held him up, flushing bright red and turning her head when he looked right into her eyes. Her mind screamed that he was too handsome for words, and she started doing the best she could to drag him toward Epona, especially when she looked over her shoulder and saw a most unnerving sight.

"Come on, we've gotta go!" she said.

"Where…" Link panted.

"Get it together! We've got company!"

Indeed, the moment Link had been freed from the container was the moment Majora could finally sense him, and here came a torrent of monsters from over the hills, each looking as bloodthirsty as the next. Linkle jumped onto Epona's back and just barely managed to pull Link up after her before she snapped the reins and the mare took off as fast as she could. The roars of all the beasts behind them were enough to keep the stress running high, and they kept up the pace as they approached the mighty bridge stretching over a ravine Link didn't remember being there.

Then again, he now had enough strength to look at all the devastation Majora had brought upon Hyrule, and a newly formed ravine just like that became the least of his problems. His homeland all but completely destroyed…how long had he been asleep? Such a defeated feeling washing over him nearly caused him to fall off Epona's back, only for Linkle to grab him and aggressively put his arms around her.

"Damn it…" the young heroine growled as the monsters started to gain on them. "Here! Take one of my crossbows and start taking them out!"

Link pulled out one of his new companion's weapons, fumbling it for a moment before looking over his shoulder and firing as fast as he could. While many of the monsters were stopped dead in their tracks, the majority kept on going, riding just as fast thanks to their zombie-like steeds. They began firing back, one of the arrows grazing Link's shoulder and forcing out a cry of pain. He kept on firing as Epona finally reached the bridge, and that was when the monsters really started to lose their patience as they began mounting bombs upon their arrows.

"DUCK!" Link shouted.

The two of them dropped their heads as the bomb arrows flew, striking the already narrow bridge and chipping away pieces of it as they detonated. Epona lurched all about to avoid them, growing worried when she just about stumbled over her own legs as the bridge began to shake. The monsters' next target had been the bridge's support beams, crumbling away once the projectiles detonated against them and freeing the heavy structure it held up. Linkle looked back in horror as the back end of the bridge began to fall away behind them, sending a chain reaction through and bring the rest of it down. She snapped the reins harder, but Epona was already galloping as fast as she could.

This couldn't happen. Not when they were so close to escaping, and the mare felt the stone start to give way beneath her hooves. In that instant, she lost all self-care, reminding herself of her master and how important he was to the world. She didn't know the specifics of it being the simple creature she was, but no matter what, he needed to survive. If not for the world, then at least for her.

It would be done. Just as the last piece started to fall into the abyss, Epona bucked forward and launched both of her riders off of her and to the safety of the other side. Link and Linkle rolled as they struck the ground, but no matter what part of them suffered damage, it didn't calm the panic in Link's heart as he suddenly had all of his strength back and clambered to his feet. He and Epona locked eyes in the precious seconds that followed, and he could swear that he could see tears in her eyes as an audible crumble filled the air. In one last act of defiance, Link ran forward, but fate had decided to stop indulging him. The bridge at last gave way and fell to the river hundreds of feet below, taking Epona along with it. Even as he heard the mighty splash far below and saw the remnants of it as he rushed to the edge and looked down, Link couldn't bring himself to believe what had just happened and how he'd been powerless to stop it.

"EPONA!" he cried.

His scream rang through the ravine, answered by the angry roars of the monsters on the other side. Fully enraged, he raised the crossbow Linkle had given him and fired until no bolts remained. Dozens of the monsters ended up impaled and falling headfirst in the ravine, but it did nothing to soothe the pain. Angrily cursing everything, Link tossed the crossbow aside and pounded the ground with his fist, leaving Linkle to stand there and look at him with the utmost pity. She'd grown quite fond of the mare over their short time together, but she couldn't imagine how painful it was for Link, who'd been with her nearly his entire life.

Slowly Linkle approached Link and laid her hand on his shoulder, getting no response other than heavy and saddened breathing. They remained there in silence for a moment until they heard the very faint sounds of splashing far below them. When they looked down, they saw a large brown shape drifting along the river's surface, and what a time for them to also notice a steep yet navigable path leading down. Without a second thought, Link dashed for it, Linkle not far behind. They hugged the craggy wall, receiving scrape after scrape as they carefully travelled further downward but not caring either way as they watched the unconscious Epona drift further along. There was no telling whether or not the impact had outright killed her, but Link shoved that thought out of his mind as they made it to the bottom and stood at the river's bank.

He didn't care how foolish it was. Once he was sure he could clear the distance, Link dove into the river and began swimming out toward his unconscious companion as fast as he could. Right as he reached her, she started to sink and he dove right along after her. He seized her, shaking her in a vain attempt to wake her up while he tried to haul her to the surface. He made slow progress, only able to move her at all with his instincts having kicked into full gear. Even then, that wasn't enough to fight the current as slow as it may have been, and as strong as he was, it didn't change the fact that Epona was at least eight times heavier than him.

Already he could feel his lungs about to give way for the second time that day, and they likely would have had a second pair of hands not laid upon Epona. As foolish as Link's selfishness was, Linkle found something admire in it and saw why the Fierce Deity considered him so important. With their combined strength, they broke the surface after a great deal of struggling and began making their way toward the bank, a panicked sputtering being just the sound they needed to hear.

"She's still alive!" Linkle called.

"I know!" Link called back. "Keep moving! Get her up on land!"

As they reached the bank, they kept on pulling until the mare was out of the water. She tried to help, but was only able to drag herself by her front legs, Link and Linkle seeing very quickly that the impact had broken both of her hind legs. Even dragging herself forward was too tiring for her, and once she was out of the water, she collapsed. She retched, getting a fair bit of the water out of her lungs as she did so and taking in as many deep breathes as she could. Link was by her side right away, stroking her head and telling her it was going to be okay. He just wished he believed that.

"We should probably get moving." Linkle said, knowing she was saying the wrong thing in this scenario but only trying to think logically in a world of illogic. "The monsters could catch up with us before long."

The worried look in Link's eyes when he looked at her was all she needed. She sighed, yet nodded, taking a seat a little ways away where she could scout out any incoming threats. Link meanwhile stayed where he was, Epona looking up at him with gratitude for saving her, but it still seemed like she thought it was a waste for both of them. Catching her breath for a moment, she whinnied to him, and he was able to understand her just from the look. They'd been together for ages. Things like this didn't escape him.

"No, Epona." he said sternly. "I'm not leaving you."

She whinnied again. She was begging him. Leave me, she was saying. Save yourself. But he couldn't

"There's nowhere for me to go, girl." he whispered. "This is one of those times where all we can do is stick together."

Epona accepted defeat and let her head rest on the ground, just happy her master was still with her. Link meanwhile turned his head to the violet-and-red sky and let everything that had happened run through his mind. He'd have a fair amount of questions to ask Linkle, but he figured they could wait for the time being. Now all he could think about were his friends. Impa, Mako…and Zelda, most of all. He thought about how they'd all been deceived, and how they had paid the ultimate price for it. They had let their heroics blind them to every possible outcome, and now here he sat in the stink of it all wondering what his next move was or even if there was one.

Hyrule had fallen.

* * *

_**Glad I was finally able to get this out even though it shouldn't have taken nearly as long as it did. There is a reason I'm slowing down, of course. Sorry, folks, but this could very well be the last fanfic I ever work on. I'm trying to divert more time into my proper writing career, and I'm proud to say that I've actually got a book out on Amazon Kindle right now. That and a lot of personal problems are the reason that I haven't been uploading as much, and while I have resolved to at least finish this story before packing it in, I can't really say whether or not they'll be anything after it.**_

_**But hey, all good things come to an end. I've been on the site for over four years now and it's been a fun ride. We'll see what happens, so stay tuned until then.**_

**SOUNDTRACK SO FAR**

_**Musou test in the Faron Woods- **_"In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- **_Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Ambush on Hyrule Castle- **_"Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Reinforcements- **_Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**The Omega Fairy- **_"Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Saria, Sage of the Forest- **_"Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

_**Invasion of Ordon Village- **_"Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Liberation of Skyloft- _**"Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- _**"Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Rescue on Death Mountain- **_"Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

_**Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- **_"Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

**_Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- _**King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Skull Kid's bravery- **_"Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

_**Treasure of the Ancient Cistern- **_"Heart of the End" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Koloktos, Ancient Automaton- **_His theme from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

_**Siege of the Spirit Temple- **_"Temple" from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Melee version)

_**Bongo Bongo, Phantom Shadow Beast- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

**_Impa versus Twinrova- _**Twinrova's theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by FamilyJules7x)

_**Reclaiming the Palace of Twilight- **_"Remnant of the Twilight" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Stallord, Twilight Fossil- **_Dinosaur boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Hyrule Warriors version)

_**Volga, Dragon Knight- **_"Solidus Cave" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ghirahim- **_"Focal Line" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Twinmold, Giant Masked Insect- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

_**Majora, Goddess of Chaos- **_"Eclipse of the Sun" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Ganondorf, Great King of Evil- **_"A Great Evil" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Fierce Deity, God of Order- **_"Fireball" from Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends

_**Skull Kid and Agitha/Impa and Volga- **_"Guilty Feeling" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako and Shanya- **_Queen Rutela's theme/Serenade of Water from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

**_Link and Aryll- _**"Outset Island" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Tetra, Pirate Queen of the Great Sea- **_Pirate theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Leaving Outset Island**_\- "Departure" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Warfare on the Great Sea- **_"Cursed Ocean" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**Escape on a tornado- **_"The Great Sea" from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

_**March of the Tower of the Gods- **_"Sequence of Drops" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Mako versus Dark Link- **_Mini-boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (FamilyJules7x version)

_**Crossing to the Tower of Spirits- **_"Full Steam Ahead" from The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army- **_Boss theme from The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds

_**Meta Ridley, Aran's Eternal Nemesis- **_His theme (Other M version)

_**Samus Aran, Galactic Hunter- **_Metroid theme (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

_**Scourge on the Plegian Border- **_"Conquest (Ablaze)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

_**Lucina, Princess of a Doomed Future- **_Fire Emblem theme (Radiant Dawn version)

_**Pit, Captain of Palutena's Guard- **_"The Return of Palutena" from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Gaol, Dark Lord of the Underworld- **_Boss theme from Kid Icarus Uprising

_**Metal Face, Mechon Commander- **_"An Obstacle in Our Path" from Xenoblade Chronicles

_**Shulk, Heir to the Monado- **_"You Will Know Our Names" from Xenoblade Chronicles

**_Warriors from worlds beyond- _**Main menu theme from Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U

_**Zelda's army versus the Fierce Deity's army: Round 2 - **_"Silent Guardians" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus the Fierce Deity - **_"The Crest of Thirst" from Dynasty Warriors 6

_**Surprise attack from the otherworld warriors - **_"Multi-Man Melee 1" from Super Smash Bros. Melee

_**Fierce Deity Link versus Majora - **_"Psychostorm" from Hyrule Warriors

_**Link versus Ganondorf - **_Ganondorf's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

_**Last Light in Castle Town - **_Molgera's theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (Hyrule Warriors Legends version)

_**Hyrule has fallen - **_"Clock Town's Final Hours" from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask


End file.
